Break Away
by SammmmanthaJ
Summary: Slight AU - Kim's about to find out just what she needs out of life. Rated M for later chapters. T/K. Pretty angsty. Now complete!
1. Break Away

**A/N: Okay, sooo. This is a song series set to Kelly Clarkson's 'Break Away' CD. They're all song fics, but like...continued. I've had this idea in my for a while, so chapters are going to be coming out pretty fast. I just want to get this outttt.**

Kimberly sat down on her bed and tried her hardest to keep the tears at bay. But, alas, it was no use at all. Tears spilled over her cheeks and her vision blurred as she tried to get a grip on her life. Her chest heaved with the sobs that were overtaking her body, and she just lay there and accepted it.

_It's funny_, she thought bitterly. _All I ever wanted was to do this. Was to get out of Angel Grove and become a famous gymnast. Now that I'm here, it's hard to imagine why I ever wanted this to begin with._

She stood up and walked to the window of her dorm room that overlooked the streets of Florida. Everyone down there looked so...happy. So carefree, so completely blissful. She was the exception.

**Grew up in a small town**

**And when the rain would fall down**

**I'd just stare out my window**

**Dreaming of what could be**

**And if I'd end up happy**

**I would pray**

Training for the Pan Globals was an opportunity of a lifetime, and Kimberly knew she just _had_ to take it. And it seemed like everyone else thought so, too - her mother was practically dragging her to the airport, Tommy gave his blessing just as easily, and even Zordon knew that she had to go and experience this amazing opportunity.

And it was amazing, for a while. But the longer she stayed there, the more awful it seemed to her. It wasn't a healthy environment. The gymnasts weren't very nice people - everyone was always trying to stab each other in the back so that they would be guaranteed a spot on the team. Kim had been the victim of many of these attacks, although she never reciprocated. Teammates would rat her out to the coach - saying that she was sneaking out after hours, hoarding snacks under her bed to pig out on - petty stuff, really, but it did get to Kim, especially since she didn't do any of the things she was accused of.

She had given her heart and soul to this place, and all it had given her in return was...was what? She wiped her eyes furiously and stood up, running a hand over her stomach, where she could feel every rib protruding from her body. She knew she should be hungry, but she just couldn't find it in her. Everyone was finally saying that she looked good - even the Coach Echolls, to the other gymnasts surprise. And her boyfriend, Duncan McKessie even thought she was finally up to par.

She knew that there was something viciously wrong with that, but she didn't have the strength to fight it. She had tried to talk to people about everything, but no one seemed to respond to her.

Her mother blew her off at every opportunity, saying that with every great achievement comes great sacrifice. Tears fell again as Kimberly thought of what she was sacrificing. _My life_.

**Trying hard to reach out**

**But when I tried to speak out**

**Felt like no one could hear me**

**Wanting to belong here**

**But something felt so wrong here**

**So I'd pray**

**I could break away**

Kimberly flopped back down on her bed, thinking of how she _used _to be. She used to be strong. She used to be a freakin' Power Ranger. How had she become this shell of who she used to be? She used to dream not only of becoming a world-class gymnast, but of traveling the world, doing stuff for the good of the world. She remembered how heart broken she had been when Trini, Jason, and Zack had all gotten called off for the Peace Conference and she hadn't - she wanted to make a difference, too, goddammit!

But at the time, she thought she had her whole life ahead of her. She was happy to let her friends take over for the time being, and she would stay behind and help the world out in a more general way - you know, fighting aliens and stuff.

She loved the life she had in Angel Grove. Loved it. She and Tommy would sit out in Angel Grove Park, under the stars, and talk about what they would do after high school, after Power Rangers. They dreamed of going to faraway places, ones that neither of them had been to. She remembered those nights like they were yesterday.

**I'll spread my wings & I'll learn how to fly**

**I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky**

**I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change**

**& break away.**

**Out of the darkness & into the sun**

**But I won't forget all the ones that I love**

**I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change**

**& break away.**

_"I want to go to the Island of Illusions," Tommy said, preempted by nothing._

_"That's funny," Kim said, turning around in his arms, "I thought you just said you wanted to go to an Island that almost made all of us disappear."_

_"Well, yeah." Kim cocked an eyebrow at that. "Well, no." Tommy looked like he didn't quite know how to put his emotions into words._

_"Are you trying to tell me you want to disappear, Mr. Oliver?" Kim asked teasingly._

_"With you? Always." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "But seriously, so I might not want to go to that _specific_ island, but I do want to go someplace tropical."_

_"Mmm, me too." Kim said, relaxing back in his arms. "Laying out on the beach, sun-bathing, it sounds like heaven."_

_"We'll do it one day." Tommy said, full of conviction. "Me and you, we'll go to an island. And maybe not disappear." He joked. Kim just smiled and leaned back farther, loving the way her head fit into his shoulder perfectly, just like always._

**Wanna feel the warm breeze**

**Sleep under a palm tree**

**Feel the rush of the ocean**

**Get on board a fast train**

**Travel on a jet plane**

**Far away**

**& break away.**

A knock on her door broke her out of her reverie.

"Hey, Kim?" A fellow gymnast named Tasha was knocking incessantly on Kim's door. Kim wiped her eyes quickly and got up and answered it.

"Hey, Tasha." Tasha wasn't one of the meanest gymnasts at the gym, but she definitely wasn't the nicest.

"Listen, I just found this when going through my stuff. It's probably a little old, I dunno." She said in a bored voice, thrusting a letter into Kim's hands. "Next time, make sure your friends aren't like, retarded, and can manage to write the right room number, okay?" She said and flounced back down the hall.

Kim sighed and closed the door, looking at the envelope. It was obvious that someone had taken the envelope and scribbled the wrong room number over the correct one that was already there.

_They all fucking suck,_ Kim thought miserably.

She looked closely at the letter and saw that it was from Tommy. _Wow, must be _really_ old if it's from him. Jealous bitches._ She knew that all the girls were super jealous of her and Tommy's relationship, and this wouldn't be the first time that they had taken his letters to her and hidden them only to finally relent when Kim hounded them.

She opened it tentatively, not sure if she really wanted to read what was on the inside. Whatever it said, it was sure to make her feel worse.

_Hey Beautiful,_ it read.

_I know in your last letter you seemed pretty down and out of it, but I know you can make it through. You're the strongest person I know. I hope you know how much I love you and how proud I am of you. I can only imagine how tough it is being cut off from everyone, but don't worry. Things will always get better._

_Speaking of getting better, you have to let me know when you have a couple days off from training. I know, I know, it might not be for a while, but when it does happen, I have the best surprise ever for you._

_Just remember, when this is all over, when you're a famous gymnast and I'm doing whatever the heck I'm doing (besides being your trophy husband, obviously), _Kim couldn't help but laugh out loud at that comment, _you and I are going to go on our own island getaway, remember? I hope you didn't forget, because I sure didn't._

_Anyway, I should probably get going, saving the world or whatever, but I love you, so much, and nothing will change that. And just so you know - I'm just throwing this out there - but I wouldn't think any less of you if you came back to Angel Grove. I would just be happy you were there._

_But that's it! I swear. I love you, Beautiful._

_Love, Tommy._

**I'll spread my wings & I'll learn how to fly**

**I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky**

**I'm gonna make a wish, take a chance, make a change**

**& break away.**

**Out of the darkness & into the sun**

**I won't forget all the ones that I love**

**I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change**

**& break away.**

Kimberly found herself in tears once again. Tommy was always proud of her, no matter what she did. She knew that he wouldn't be proud if he saw her right now. Hell, _she_ wasn't even proud of herself. Yes, she was becoming an accomplished gymnast, but at what cost? It wasn't even fun to her anymore. She had enjoyed it more when was relaxed and unpressured, hanging out at Ernie's and just doing it for herself.

She felt more and more guilty as she read and reread Tommy's letter. She knew it was from a long time ago, and she knew that his feelings had changed irreparably, but still. The knowledge that Tommy wouldn't be proud of the newfound Kim was not something that sat well with Kimberly Hart.

_He wouldn't want me to be living like this_, she thought. _He would want me to happy and healthy and not miserable._

All of a sudden, it was as if a light shone on Kimberly Hart's future. She stood up and looked around the room.

"Fuck this place." She said to no one.

She glanced at the clock - it said 11 p.m. It was late, and it was too late for Kimberly to do anything drastic. But, she shook her head. _It was never too late_.

She turned on her stereo, louder than she should since it was afterhours, but not giving a damn. She pulled out her two large suitcases from under her bed and threw them open atop her bed.

She started tearing through her drawers, throwing all the clothes that she loved in a suitcase, leaving some of her least favorites there. She made a note to leave _all_ the clothes that Duncan ever bought her in a drawer, despite how cute they were.

She carefully wrapped her pictures of the Rangers and even her and Tommy, which she kept in the nightstand next to her bed, hidden so that Duncan wouldn't see. She wrapped that one extra-carefully, almost laughing to herself. Here she had Tommy out of her life, yet he was still the one that influenced her the most.

**Buildings with a hundred floors**

**Swinging 'round revolving doors**

**Maybe I don't know where they'll take me**

**But I gotta keep moving on, moving on**

**Fly away**

**Break away.**

There was another knock on her door, and Kimberly rolled her eyes, knowing that it would be _someone_ there to complain about the music. Sure enough, she opened the door to an irate Tasha.

"Kimberly, I don't know what the fuck you're doing, but turn down the music!"

She was wearing a facial masque and holding two cucumber slices in her hand, looking more than a little scary. Kimberly, who usually held back when it came to her fellow gymnasts, laughed right in Tasha's face.

"Tasha, hi! Come to return other letters from my boyfriend that you took because you couldn't get one of your own?" Tasha's face turned red underneath the green facial masque. "No? Aw, pity." Tasha stomped her foot, at a loss for words.

"Oh, and I think you're starting to ferment." Kimberly added sweetly, gesturing to Tasha's disgusting masque. With that, Tasha let out a frustrated scream, babbling incoherently at Kimberly.

"Tasha, can you keep it down?? People are trying to sleep you know." Kimberly whispered, and shut the door promptly in her face.

She leaned her back on the door and smiled to herself. That felt _good_.

Kimberly returned to her packing, managing to get everything she wanted into her suitcases. She placed them next to her bed and laid down in bed, still wearing the same clothes she had worn that day.

Tomorrow was going to be a brand new day, and she had plenty of things to do.

**I'll spread my wings & I'll learn how to fly**

**Though it's not easy to tell you godby**

**Gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change**

**& break away.**

**Out of the darkness & into the sun**

**But I won't forget the place I come from**

**I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change**

**& break away.**

**Break away.**


	2. Since You've Been Gone

**A/N: So, hope you guys liked the first part, and I hope you like the second part, too. I seriously love writing this, so um, I'm just going to keep on going until I have to stop, I guess. Hope this is okay - it's sort of long, but I wouldn't expect them to be this long all the time, ahaha. K bye.**

The next morning, Kimberly woke up feeling more refreshed and revitalized than she had the entire time she'd been in Florida. With good reason, too - it was now 9 a.m., and practice started at 6 a.m. on the dot. She glanced at her cell phone for the time - she had packed her clock last night, too - and got up and stretched. Today was going to be a _good_ day.

She showered and changed at a leisurely pace, not in any rush. She booted up her laptop and managed to book a flight to Angel Grove for that evening. Feeling that Jason should be awake by ten thirty a.m., Kim picked up her cell phone and dialed the ever-so-familiar number.

"Hello?" His voice soothed Kim instantly.

"Hey, Jase."

"_Kimberly_?" Okay, she deserved the incredulous tone. After all, she hadn't been very social the past few months. "What's up? Aren't you training right now?"

"About that..." Kim sighed. "Wanna pick me up at the Angel Grove airport at like, nine thirty p.m. tonight?" She asked in an overly perky voice.

"Tonight? In Angel Grove?"

"Mmhmm."

"You're coming back??" Kimberly still couldn't decipher Jason's tone. Was he happy, worried, sad, angry, apathetic? She couldn't tell.

"Yeah. I am. So you know, if you had an extra bed, now would be the time to offer it..."

Jason's booming laughter came across the line and Kimberly felt herself get happier.

"Of course you can stay with me! Wow, this is great, Kim. Everyone'll be real excited to see you. I haven't seen you since..." His voice trailed off. They both remembered the last time Jason had seen her. It had been about three months into the Pan Global training, and he had just gotten back from Switzerland. Unfortunately, Kim's mother was also visiting at the time, and words had been exchanged, and Jason had to cut his visit short.

Kim wasn't entirely sure what Jason and her mother's spat was about, but she knew that both of them were very stubborn people, and it didn't surprise her that they had come to blows.

"Since my mom yelled at you and both of you refused to tell me what you guys were arguing about?" Kimberly supplied flippantly.

"Oh, right, that, wow. Slipped my mind entirely. Hadn't given it another thought."

Kimberly and Jason both shared a laugh at this, until the mood grew darker.

"So, Kimmie, what's the real reason you're coming home? Not that I'm complaining at all - I don't think that place was ever good for you." Jason's voice was laced with concern.

"You're right. I need to get away before this place just like, swallows me, you know?"

"You know I do." Jason was the most understanding person Kimberly had ever met, and she was grateful for their relationship everyday. "So, why such a late flight? None earlier?"

"Are you worried about me, Jase?" She asked in her teasing tone.

"Nah, just want to see you sooner is all." Jason said unconvincingly.

"Well, I still have some things to take care of. And the flight's at 1:40. But don't worry. I'll call you before I get on the plane."

"I'm really glad you're coming home, Kim. Everyone will be."

"Let's save the telling everyone 'til a little later, kay?" Kim pleaded.

"Alright," Jason sighed. "But he'll be pissed." No need to ask who the 'he' was, Kim just shrugged it off.

"I'll see you tonight, Jase."

"Okay. Bye Kimmie."

Kimberly hung up and then took a deep breath. She had to go take care of certain things, and it wasn't going to be easy.

**Here's the thing, we started off friends**

**it was cool but it was all pretend**

**Yeah, yeah**

**Since you've been gone**

**You dedicated, you took the time**

**Wasn't long 'til I called you mine**

**Yeah**

**Since you've been gone**

Kimberly made her way to the mens gym across the campus. The gym wasn't adjoined with the female one, but she knew that's where Duncan would be. Duncan McKessie was a junior at Southern Florida University, and Kimberly's mother, Caroline, had introduced the two during one of Caroline's visits, as Duncan was the son of a prominent professor at the University. Duncan wasn't a gymnast, but he was a wrestler, so the two did understand each other when it came to the pressure of sports, and they became fast friends.

Duncan was always there for Kim, especially when it came to her being troubled by Tommy. As Kim walked across campus, she realized that Duncan was a really good friend, but he got worse as their relationship progressed. He was a little too happy when Caroline got Kim to end her relationship with Tommy, too. It was a day Kim would never forget, ever.

_"Kimberly, I don't even know how to tell you this." Caroline Dumas sat at the edge of Kim's dorm bed, watching her daughter pull her hair into tight french braid pig tails._

_"Tell me what, mom?" Kim was preoccupied, but her mother's attitude did make her worry._

_"Well, you know how Pierre and I just got back from a visit to Angel Grove, right?"_

_"...Yes. You told me this already."_

_"Well, dear, it's just...you know, you can't blame him really, this is a very difficult situation..."_

_"Blame who for what?" Kimberly asked, turning around. "You're making like, zero sense right now."_

_"Well, even though I don't directly approve of Thomas, I don't think what he's doing is right."_

_"Well, what's he doing?" Kimberly was getting more and more frustrated with her mother._

_"I'm told that he's dating that beautiful blonde girl, the one from Australia. Kat, I think is her name."_

_Kimberly laughed out loud at this._

_"Who told you that? They're just friends, mom. Seriously."_

_"Kimberly, I...I saw them. Pierre took me on a walk through Angel Grove Park and I saw the two of them. I know he told you they were friends, but what kind of friends go on picnics in the park, just the two of them? What kind of friends platonically kiss?"_

_Kimberly gasped. She spent the next better part of an hour yelling at her mother, screaming how it wasn't true and how she was a liar. Caroline Dumas wasn't swayed, and just did the best she could to comfort Kimberly, assuring her that all American men are the same._

_"Look at what Daddy did to me, sweetheart. And now what Tommy's doing to you. It's a cycle. I am lucky enough to have found Pierre, but you...you need to find someone, too."_

_"I'm not moving to France just to meet a guy, mom."_

_"Oh, no, of course not, I'm not suggesting that! I just think someone closer to you would be a better choice. Someone you can keep an eye on is all."_

And so it began. Caroline Dumas convinced her to write a letter to Tommy to make _him_ feel worse - saying that she had met another guy. Kimberly had never really wanted to write the letter, she didn't think revenge was the way to go, but Caroline dictated and Kimberly wrote, and in the end, her own mother made her believe that it was the right thing to do

Caroline convinced Kimberly to go on a date with Duncan a few days later, and their "relationship" bloomed. However, a few weeks into the relationship, Kimberly was starting to get frustrated with Duncan.

He always did things for her - even if she wanted to do them herself! He ordered her food, chose her outfits, gave her schedules - it was madness, to Kimberly. Kim tried to talk about this with her mom, but her mother only thought it was sweet that someone would take such an interest in her - especially since she wasn't exactly the prettiest girl, and she wasn't the best gymnast either.

Hearing this more and more, Kimberly just resigned to the fact that maybe she should just be lucky to have Duncan care for her as more than a friend. She wasn't blonde, tall and gorgeous, and she couldn't manage to do a double twisting Yuchenko off the vault so maybe she should just be happy with what she had.

In the back of her mind, Kimberly always knew that Duncan didn't treat her right. He always threatened to leave her if she didn't do something good enough - if she didn't perform well at a local meet, or if she didn't lose those ten pounds Coach was always harping on about. But, Kimberly knew that without him, she truly would be alone in Florida, and she wasn't sure if she could handle that.

**And all you'd ever hear me say**

**Is how I pictured me with you**

**That's all you'd ever hear me say**

But now, with the knowledge that she was going _home_, and yeah, maybe she didn't have Tommy, but she would always have Jason, she realized that Duncan was nothing to her, and once she got rid of him, she could only imagine the freedom she would feel.

She walked into the gym and past the basketball court to the weight room, where she was positive Duncan would be. Sure enough, he was there, bench pressing while other teammates spotted him.

"Kimberly?" He gasped out as he replaced the weight bar and sat up, staring at her. "You're supposed to be at practice."

"Yeah, but-"

"No buts, you're not good enough to be skipping practice-"

Kimberly felt her resolve sliding away as Duncan continued, thinking that maybe her coming down to the gym was just a bad idea.

"...you're barely good enough for me, so I don't have a lot of time, was there something you wanted?"

"Not good enough for you?" Kimberly echoed, all of her former anger returning. "Not good enough for _you_? Duncan, when's the last time you told me how pretty I looked?"

"What?" Duncan looked baffled. "Probably before you put on those extra pounds."

"Wrong." Kimberly replied, her voice getting stronger. "You have _never_, not _once_ told me that I looked beautiful. Or pretty, or gorgeous."

"What the fuck does this have to do with anything?" Duncan's face got red as he got more and more pissed.

"I thought maybe you'd like _one_ reason as to why I'm leaving tonight and not coming back." Kimberly turned around to walk away.

"Excuse me?" Duncan had stood up now. "You're leaving _me_?"

Kimberly whipped around, staring at Duncan, ignoring all of his mates. They were nice guys, the ones that Kimberly knew anyway, and they all looked at Duncan in a bored kind of way.

"Did I stutter?" She bit out, glaring at Duncan. "I'm. Leaving. You." She enunciated slowly.

"Where the fuck are you going to go?"

"Home." Kimberly said with a smile.

"Angel Grove, you mean? With all those people that don't give a damn about you, the boyfriend that you weren't good enough for, and your father who forgot about you? Oh, right, _home._ Good fucking luck with that." Kimberly fought back the tears that were stinging her eyes and decided that if she was going to do this, she was going to do it right.

"Oh, no, you see, you misunderstood me." She said in a saccharine sweet voice. "I'm not going home because of all of those things that _are_ there. I'm going home because you're _not_ there."

**But since you've been gone**

**I can breathe for the first time**

**I'm so moving on, yeah yeah**

**Thanks to you**

**Now I get what I want**

**Since you've been gone.**

Kimberly turned around and left the gym with no one saying a word behind her. It was time to conquer the other thing that was holding her here, and she wasn't sure if she would have the strength to do it. But, she was feeling sort of...empowered. She was so sure that her confrontation with Duncan would leave her feeling weak and sad and lonely, and she was doubtful that she'd have the strength to deal with Coach Echolls. But instead, it was quite the opposite. Her encounter with Duncan made her feel like she was on top of the world. She was ready to get on with her life, without him in it.

She reached the women's gym fairly quickly, as she was absorbed in her thoughts. She stopped at the doors and looked up at them. Once upon a time, anytime she'd step into a gymnastics gym, she would feel on top of the world. They would only invoke happy memories and happy thoughts. Now, when she looked at the gym doors, all she felt was bitterness.

She was angry at the girls that put her down here, the coaches that made her feel worthless and terrible, and the fact that everyone in this gym had turned the sport that she had once loved into something she loathed.

She took a deep breath and opened the doors, only to instantly be met with bitterness and criticism.

"Guess you shouldn't have snuck out last night, huh Kimberly?" A gymnast named Alexis smirked at her, indicating the story that they had already told Coach Echolls. Kimberly let it slide off her shoulders. Instead, Kimberly let her gaze roam over the gymnast's toned body.

"Guess you shouldn't have eaten that extra slice of pizza, huh Alexis?" Kimberly retorted. She knew it was mean and bitchy, but she had let them dictate her life and had never said a word about it. Now, she was ready to deal with it.

Alexis turned extremely red at the comment and ran over to the scale in the center of the gym. Kimberly just shook her head and continued through the gym, searching for Coach Echolls and ignoring the jeers sent her way.

"Somebody's late."

"Somebody's looking chubbier."

"Maybe she's pregnant!"

"Yeah right, who would sleep with _her_?"

"It's more like who she won't sleep with."

"Hey Kim, is it true you won't sleep with Duncan so he's hooking up with Jessie? Or do you just suck in bed so bad that Jessie's a better lay?"

Kimberly whipped around at the last comment, said by none other than Tasha.

"Tasha, we all know that you slept with Duncan last semester. So, excuse me if I don't want your sloppy seconds." She turned and looked at Jessie. "Apparently Jessie does."

Kim watched as the gym deteriorated into chaos. Everyone was calling everyone a bitch, and Kim just hopped up on the balance beam and observed. Jessie threw a handful of chalk at Tasha, Alexis was yelling at another girl for telling everyone what she ate, and all in all, it was a sight to be seen.

All of a sudden a whistle blew, loud enough to silence every and any scream.

"What in _God's name_ is going on here?" Coach Echolls voice boomed throughout the room, and everyone froze. Most of the girls had chalk coating their leotards, and it was clear that they were all about to be punished severely.

"Who is responsible for this chaos?" He asked in the same loud voice.

Everyone pointed to Kimberly, who at this point, discarded her windbreaker was was doing a routine on the balance beam, ignoring everyone else.

"How nice of you to join us, Ms. Hart. Clearly since you think you don't need as much practice as the rest of the girls, you won't mind taking a little break from your routine to explain to me what the hell is going on."

Kimberly, mid back bend, just barely spared him a glance.

"I'm busy right now." She replied cooly.

"RIGHT. THIS. INSTANT, HART!" Coach Echolls screamed.

"Fine." And Kimberly proceeded to do back flip after back flip on the beam, culminating in an extremely complex dismount, one that many of the girls had been trying to nail. Kimberly found that if she didn't give a damn about what the coach thought, she was a much better gymnast.

"Care to explain what's going on?" He proceeded to yell at her, in front of all the other girls. To anyone else, it'd be humiliating. To Kimberly, she just found it demeaning.

"This place fucking sucks." She said bluntly to the coach, who looked like he was about to have a coronary.

"Sorry that it isn't _easier_ for you, princess, but you knew it was going to be hard work, you should've prepared for that."

"Oh, I knew it was going to be hard, and that's not the part that bothers me. But _you_," Kimberly turned to all the girls that were pretending to do anything other than listen in, "and _you guys_ turn gymnastics into something that it shouldn't be."

"Like what, a competition?" A gymnast called out sarcastically.

"You made me believe this entire gym was about being a family and being there for each other. These girls are the cattiest, most self-centered bitches I have ever met." She said to Coach Echolls, ignoring the girl.

**How can I put it? You put me on**

**I even fell for that stupid love song**

**Yeah, yeah**

**Since you've been gone**

**How come I never hear you say**

**I just wanna be with you?**

**I guess you never felt that way.**

Kimberly picked up her windbreaker and looked Coach Echolls straight in the eye.

"You made me feel bad about myself, my body, my abilities, and every other girl in here. I quit." Kimberly felt the weight that she hadn't even realized had been there, lift off her shoulders.

"You quit?" Coach Echolls echoed quietly. Kimberly nodded. "_YOU QUIT?!"_

"Yup." Kimberly said as she made her way around the man. He continued to yell at her as she made her way around the equipment, practically skipping she was so lighthearted.

"You have no idea what you're doing." A quiet voice came up from behind her.

"I really think I do." Kimberly responded, turning away. She paused, and then turned back. "Oh, and Tasha?" The girl looked back up. "I hope you win. You _really_ deserve it."

With that, she turned and walked out the doors, into the sunshine.

**But since you've been gone**

**I can breathe for the first time**

**I'm so moving on, yeah yeah**

**Thanks to you**

**Now I get, I get what I want**

**SInce you've been gone**

Kimberly made her way back to her dorm, making sure she got everything she needed packed away. It was only a little past noon, but her flight was at 1:50 and she needed to be there to go through security, so she called a cab and sat outside the dorm with all of her suitcases, ready and waiting.

She thought back on the last time she had felt so lighthearted and worry-free. She decided that it probably was the time she found out she didn't have to move to France with her mother, and that Aisha's family would take her in. There's something revitalizing when you find out that all your worries and wears were about to go away with one simple action.

She knew there would be problems arising from her leaving Florida. Her mother being a huge one at that. Her mom didn't understand Kimberly, to say the least, and Kim had no doubt that she was going to have a parental meltdown when she finds out that she's going back to Angel Grove. Besides parents, Kim didn't even really have a place to stay in Angel Grove. She couldn't stay with Jason forever - well, he probably would let her, but Kim knew that wasn't the independent lifestyle he wanted to live, what with being back from an international Peace Conference, where he was surrounded by hundreds of people on a daily basis.

But, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she made the right decision. She had already gotten her GED, and she knew that she still wanted to pursue gymnastics, just maybe not on a National level. She wanted to grow comfortable with it again, she wanted to have friends that did it, she wanted to _have fun_ again.

Funnily enough, when she thought back on it, there had been warnings that going away for this type of intense training would ruin the fun of it. Tommy had said that he was worried that she'd get too into it and take it too seriously, and Kim had assured him that she wouldn't. Jason had been the one worried about her health - he had told her that he had seen too many Lifetime movies about gymnasts who get carried away and don't take care of themselves. Kim had also told him that she'd be fine. And her mother. Her mother hadn't really issued words of warning, but more like words of insistence. Her mother had told her that it was going to be hard and was going to take a lot out of her, but if she really loved it, she wouldn't complain and she would do whatever the coach suggested in order to make herself a better gymnast.

Kimberly had sworn to do that, too.

But, in retrospect, Kimberly had taken it too seriously, had lost her health in the process, and had only complained rarely.

It didn't escape Kim's notice that her mother's words of wisdom were the only ones that were detrimental.

Lost in thought, Kim didn't hear footsteps behind her as she sat on a bench outside her dorm.

"You're making a mistake, you know." Duncan's voice didn't sound pained or worried, or anything belying the fact that maybe he would miss her when she left. If anything, he sounded bored.

"Maybe." Kim replied, feigning boredom just as well.

"You don't know what you're giving up. What you just gave up. If I were you, I'd-"

"Shut up, Duncan." Kimberly said, cutting him off mid-sentence. "I don't care if you think I'm giving up everything, _especially_ if you think 'everything' involves you. We're done, over with, whatever. Get over it, because I certainly am."

"You think you'll ever be able to find a guy that will put up with you out there?" Duncan asked, infuriated. "I gave you _everything_, and you're a fool to give it all away."

Tears came into Kimberly's eyes, and she couldn't will them away. He was right in one aspect - there wasn't a lot of hope of her finding someone that will deal with her there. She came with a lot of baggage, and maybe Duncan was right to think that he was doing a favor for her by putting up with her.

Just then, the cab pulled up, enabling Kim to not have to deal with Duncan anymore.

"Duncan," she started, turning around, unsure of what to say to him.

"Just go, Kim. You're an idiot, and just go."

**You had your chance you blew it**

**Out of sight, out of mind**

**Shut your mouth, I just can't take it**

**Again & again & again & again**

The cabbie helped her get her bags into the trunk and Kimberly sat down, relieved, in the backseat. Duncan was just standing by idly, staring at Kimberly with a disapproving mien.

_This is right, this is right, this is right, _she told herself again and again. _You have no reason to feel guilty, because this, for the first time in a long time, is for _you._ Just let it go._

She knew she needed to get away from Duncan. Even if it meant being alone, which is something that Kimberly _hated_. She sighed, putting all thoughts of Duncan, and what he said to the back of her mind. She felt lighter and freer than she had in a very long time.

**Since you've been gone**

**I can breathe for the first time**

**I'm so moving on, yeah yeah**

**Thanks to you**

**Now I get, I get what I want**

**I can breathe for the first time**

**I'm so moving on, yeah yeah**

**Thanks to you**

**Now I get**

**You should know**

**That I get**

**I get what I want**

**Since you've been gone.**

**Since you've been gone.**

**Since you've been gone.**


	3. Behind These Hazel Eyes

**A/N: Okay, so this one's a little longer than the rest, and a lot angstier, if that's possible. Hope you like itttttt!**

**Oh, and I totally forgot the Disclaimer at the beginning of this story. So, I don't own anything that Disney and Saban does.**

"Yeah, I'm at the airport right now." Kimberly told Jason as she finished tying her shoes, as she had just gotten through security.

"Are you gonna be okay on the plane? You know I bet I could get a certain morphilogical being to give you permission to teleport..."

"No, no, no, that'd be a terrible idea." Kimberly insisted, hiking her carry-on backpack up on her shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Jason's voice was laced with worry.

"Yes, I'm sure. Don't worry about it, seriously. The flight can't be _that_ bad..."

"It's like, an eight hour flight, Kim."

"Well, I have a layover at JFK and then there's the time difference, and then there's just..." she sighed, "I'm just trying to deal with this, okay, Jase?"

"Hey, I understand, I just don't want you to be in any unnecessary pain, that's all. I know how much you hate flying, and I'm just trying to help." He said, defeated.

"I know you are," Kimberly said, feeling guilty, "I'm just hoping I can use this time to like...get things in order, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Jason rubbed his hands over his eyes, sitting in his home in Angel Grove. He knew Kim was going through some tough shit, but all he wanted to do was make it better, and he wasn't sure how. When they were younger it was always so easy, but they were growing up now, and it just..._wasn't_.

"So you got the guest bedroom made up to the nines for me, right?" Kim joked, trying to relieve some tension in their conversation.

"Only the best for my girl." He laughed. "You know this means that I just changed the sheets and took the weight machine out of the room, right?"

"Ooh, new sheets? That's why I love you, Jase. You always go that extra mile to make me happy." They shared another laugh, alleviating the tension. Kimberly sighed when she finally closed the phone as the boarding for her flight was being called. Jason was like Kim's rock. He was always strong, steady, and dependable. He never chose sides in fights, he never got angry on the behalf of someone else, and he never made any rash judgments or decisions.

Which is why his disagreement with Kimberly's mother was all the more disturbing to Kim, but she wasn't going to push him to talk about it. They'd deal with it later, and right now Kimberly was just happy that she had someone to come back to in Angel Grove. She always thought that she'd be coming home to Tommy, but I guess Kim didn't see a lot of things coming that she should've.

**Seems like just yesterday**

**You were a part of me**

**I used to stand so tall**

**I used to be so strong**

**Your arms around me tight**

**Everything, it felt so right**

**Unbreakable, like nothing could go wrong.**

**Now I can't breathe**

**No, I can't sleep**

**I'm barely hanging on.**

Their relationship was infallible to Kim. _Maybe that should've been the first clue,_ Kim thought. _Everything was perfect. No high school relationship was perfect. I mean, we had our share of evil alien minions interfering, but still, we always made it through. I guess that's why I thought that a little distance between the two of us wouldn't mean anything._

Kimberly had been through a lot of denial when it came to Tommy and his indiscretions that her mother had shared with her. She hadn't thought it was possible at first, but her mother knew things that she couldn't have possibly known otherwise. Her mom described the spot that she seen Tommy and Kat and that's when Kimberly literally felt her heart break. It was their spot. _Theirs. _It was supposed to be special.

She supposed it still was special, just not to her anymore. Now Kat had stolen all of her happy memories and she was left with nothing, just pitiful wanting of them back. She knew her mother tried to help, but Caroline Hart had done nothing of the sort. If anything, Kimberly thought she was _defending_ Tommy!

She had spoke of how it was a tough position Tommy was put in - she was sure that yes, Tommy did love Kim, but how else was he supposed to react when a prettier girl was right in front of his eyes, and Kimberly was hundreds of miles away?

Then her mother had gone on for days on the perils of being an American man - as if she had any experience. She tried to fill the hole inside Kimberly with unadulterated male-bashing, including Kim's father. She knew the man had attempted very little contact with Kimberly since she moved away, and yet again contributed it to the typical male-syndrome. She thought that by reiterating to Kim time and time again that Tommy did what _any_ hot blooded male would do would comfort Kim. She was so far from correct it was scary.

**Here I am, once again**

**I'm torn into pieces**

**Can't deny it, can't pretend**

**Just thought you were the one**

**Broken up, so deep inside**

**But you won't get to see the tears I cry**

**Behind these hazel eyes**

Kim wouldn't tell her mother, but she never felt completely okay with the letter they wrote Tommy. She thought the mature way to handle it would be to simply talk about it with him - ask him how and why, and then maybe, if possible be friends with him, which is something Kim wanted more than anything in the entire world. She didn't want to give up Tommy completely.

_"You don't want that at all, Kimberly!" Caroline Dumas ascertained once again._

_"I don't want to be his friend? Mom, I still love him! I'll take anything!" Kimberly pled once again, although it was like her mother was a broken record._

_"Kimberly, think about this, please. Your coach says your performance lately has been _way_ below par. I'm no dummy, I know it's because of Tommy. He's interfering far too much, and he's not even in love with you anymore! I can't begin to imagine how your performance would slip if you were to attempt to rekindle some sort of relationship with him."_

_"I'm miserable without him, mom! That's why my performance is slipping!" Kim was crying in earnest now. "Why are you wanting me to get over him so badly?!"_

_Her mom came and put an arm around her, cradling her daughter on her bed._

_"Because he's already gotten over you, sweetheart."_

It were those words that allowed Kimberly's resolve to break, and she agreed to writing the letter. She was so angry with Tommy through her mother, that she wanted nothing more than to hurt him the way that she was hurting now. Even though her mother warned her that Tommy would probably deny cheating, like her dad did, so Caroline devised a letter that wouldn't leave room for Tommy's lies.

Kimberly had objected - saying that then they would just be _her_ lies, and that didn't sit well with her. Caroline brushed her off, saying that apparently their entire relationship was built on lies, and Kimberly succumbed. And the letter was written and sent.

Tommy didn't try to contact Kimberly afterwards, which hurt even more than the truth, in Kimberly's eyes. She wanted to hear his pain, as sadistic as that was. She was just hurting so much and she didn't know what to do.

**I told you everything**

**Opened up and let you in**

**You made me feel alright**

**For once in my life**

**Now all that's left of me**

**Is what I pretend to be**

**So together, but so broken up inside**

Kimberly hadn't thought it was possible to actually suffer from a broken heart, but after sending the letter to Tommy and getting nothing in return, she was sure that it was the most tormenting thing a person could experience.

She was confused, most of all. How could someone just turn their back on such a great relationship, as Tommy had? They were there for each other all the time. Tommy was there when Kimberly was having trouble with her parents, and Kimberly was there for Tommy when he was feeling lost without having _known_ his parents. Tommy had been the first and only person to understand Kimberly completely, without any prerequisites, and it killed Kim to know that he threw it all away for someone who was probably prettier, smarter, and more "emotionally available" than Kim was. Kim's mother always told her that maybe once she grew up more, she'd be more "emotionally available." Kim didn't understand what that meant, and maybe _that's _what it meant - she couldn't understand.

Kimberly still felt lighter and freer now that she was leaving Florida behind. But, the one thing that was scaring her more than she thought possible was the prospect of seeing Tommy again. Seeing Tommy wrapped around _her_.

It had been a long time since Kim had given up her delusions about coming back to Angel Grove. She used to daydream about coming back, and being so alluring and amazing that Tommy would dump Kat at the mere sight of her, and they'd live happily ever after. Tommy would apologize for ever thinking someone could take her place, and Kim would apologize for the letter, saying how much it hurt to be hurt by him. But, those days were long gone, and Kim was just terrified now.

She knew she hadn't hurt him with the letter - if anything, Tommy was probably relieved that he got an easy way out. She also knew that she wasn't anything comparable to Kat, and she shouldn't even try. After all, there was a reason Tommy cheated on her, right? _Because you're not good enough_, a little voice in the back of her mind spoke up.

_Because I'm not good enough_.

'**Cause I can't breathe**

**No, I can't sleep**

**I'm barely hanging on**

**Here I am, once again**

**I'm torn into pieces**

**Can't deny it, can't pretend**

**Just thought you were the one**

**Broken up, deep inside**

**But you won't get to see the tears I cry**

**Behind these hazel eyes.**

Kim drifted off to sleep with thoughts of worthlessness echoing in her head. She switched planes in between restless dreams, and was awoken by a slight nudging of her elbow.

"Hey lady!" A small boy, around the age of ten, was elbowing her. She cracked her eyes open, looking around. "We're landing soon!"

"Oh, okay..." Kim said, still disoriented. She hated flying. She was almost pissed at the little boy sitting next to her for waking her up for the worst part of the flight. She just stretched a smile on her face and held on for dear life as the plane descended into Angel Grove International.

She eventually survived the landing process and got to baggage claim, gathering up her suitcases. She looked around, wondering where Jason was, when two hands came up and covered her eyes. It took all she had to not shriek and freak out.

"Please please please tell me that's you, Jason?" She almost whispered.

"Who else would it be?" He responded, twirling her around and pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. "I'm glad you're back." He whispered into her hair.

"Me too, I think." She laughed. He took two suitcases, leaving her with her carry-on and smaller suitcase.

He made his way out to his car, a red 4x4, and put the suitcases in the back, opening the door for her like the gentleman he was.

"So," he said as he pulled out of the airport parking lot, "what are your plans now that you are back in good ole' sunny California? Besides eat an entire pizza?" Kim gave him a skeptical look.

"I am _not _eating an entire-"

"Yes. You are."

"Do you know how many calories are in a-"

"I can see your ribs." He countered.

"I was ten pounds overweight for my division." She countered back.

"You're not winning this fight." Kimberly sighed.

"Three slices. But that's it."

-

Jason pulled the jeep into Ernie's Youth Center & Juice Bar.

"Ernie's?" Kim questioned. "Are you sure you don't want to parade me around town on the top of your truck or anything first?" Jason just laughed.

"_Seriously_, Jason! I thought we were going to keep me being back in California under wraps for a while."

"What gave you that idea?" He asked as he turned off the car and clicked off his seat belt.

"Well, the way I asked you not to tell anyone I was returning so I could _keep myself under wraps for a while_."

"Oh," Jason grinned unabashedly, "well, I thought you were speaking of a certain someone we weren't telling."

"You _didn't_," Kimberly moaned, putting her head in her hands.

"I didn't know!"

"You _so_ did! You want me to believe that you told everyone _except_ Tommy that I was coming back and you didn't think he'd find out?"

"Well, when you put it like that it just sounds silly."

"Silly!" Kimberly shrieked. "I am going to _beat you_ silly in about ten seconds if you don't turn this truck back on and -"

"And what, Kim?" Jason asked, seriously. "There are about six kids in there _dying_ to see you, and you're just going to what, leave them hanging?"

Kimberly sighed, unsure of what to do.

"Trini and Zack are in there." Jason lied, knowing Kim had no way of knowing Zack was spending the summer in L.A. and Trini was at Kung Fu camp for a few more weeks.

"They are?" Kimberly perked up.

"Sure." Jason nodded.

"But let me guess, so is _he_. And _her._"

"Well, I have no idea who the _her_ is in that statement, but to answer the other question, I have no idea whether or not Tommy is making an appearance tonight, but the answer is probably yes."

Kimberly heaved a huge sigh, unbuckling herself and making her way out of the jeep with Jason. Jason was about to walk through the doors when he noticed Kimberly stopped, looking through a window at the crowd inside.

**Swallow me then spit me out**

**For hating you, I blame myself**

**Just seeing you, it kills me now**

**No I don't cry on the outside**

**Anymore.**

"Kimmie?" Jason asked, walking towards her as she continued to stare. "What's wrong?" He asked, panicked, noticing she had tears in her eyes.

"I can't cry." She muttered to herself, wiping her eyes.

"Are you worried about what they'll say?" Jason asked, misreading her emotions. Kim just shrugged.

"Sort of."

"About the letter?" Jason asked, trying to coax more information out of her.

"Are they upset?" Jason paused, not sure how to word his next phrase.

"Some of them think that you were..._wrong_ in the way you ended it." Kim scoffed.

"Let me guess, they all thought Tommy was the _man_, right?" A look of confusion crossed Jason's face, but she continued before he could say anything. "Of course they did! No one even thought what it felt like to be _me_, and why would they? Why would anyone even care to tell me?? I had to find out from my own _mother_!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Kimmie." Jason put his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "What did you find out from your mother."

"Honestly, Jason, I appreciate the way you're trying to be noble about this and pretend you don't know, but it's okay, it's all in the open now."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Jason deadpanned.

"Tommy! Kat! The secretive love tryst that should've been made into a TV-movie? Yeah, I know, so, it's cool. No more bonds of brotherhood shit anymore, you don't have to pretend like you don't know."

"Kim?" Jason asked, still holding her shoulders. "Stay here for a minute. Do not move a muscle."

Kim sighed in reply, and Jason took off through the doors leading to the Youth Center. Kim peeked through the window yet again and gasped at what she saw. She couldn't hear the words being yelled, but the headlock Jason had Tommy in spoke a thousand words. Forgetting all about Jason's warnings, Kim took off for the Youth Center, rushing inside.

"What are you two _doing?!" _She yelled, as everyone tried to divide their attention between the two guys fighting and the girl yelling. At the sound of her voice the two men stopped their fighting and froze.

"I thought I told you to stay outside?" Jason asked calmly, as if he wasn't about to pummel Tommy. Tommy just stared at her, not saying a word.

"Jason! Let. Him. Go." Kimberly said very clearly. Jason obeyed, dropping Tommy from his headlock. Tommy fell to his knees then stood up, brushing his shoulders and glaring at Jason, who had came to Kimberly. Kimberly just watched at Kat rushed over to Tommy, asking him if he was okay. Tommy just shook his head, clearly confused. It was more than Kim could take.

"You know what?" Everyone stared at her. She rummaged through her purse, pulling out a worn photo. "Fuck this." She said and crumpled up the photo and threw it at Tommy, who let it bounce of his chest.

Kimberly turned around and ran out, with Jason on her heels.

Tommy knelt down to pick up the picture, and he gasped, along with Katherine.

"We never?" He asked her.

"No, I didn't..." Kat was just as confused as he was.

Tommy threw the picture back to the ground and took after Kimberly.

Rocky walked up and picked the picture up, looking at the photo of Tommy and Katherine kissing.

"You made out with Tommy?" He asked, clearly outraged. Kat slapped him upside his head.

"That's _you_, numbskull!" Rocky looked at the picture closer, squinting.

"Hunh. You're right, it is!"

"Of _course_ it is!" The picture had been taken as Rocky and Kat spent the afternoon at the Angel Grove Park, going over their lines for a school play. Kat had insisted Rocky wear the wig so he could "get into character," for their school's rendition of The Taming Of The Shrew. The two had gotten caught up in the moment and let their emotions get the best of them, and they had kissed. Neither knew that they were caught on film, and they were both at a loss as to who could've taken the picture.

"Oh no," Kat moaned, putting her head in her hands. "I can only imagine what Kimberly is thinking!" She looked at Rocky, who was still studying the picture. "I'm quite positive it's you." Kat remarked dryly.

"Oh, I am, too," Rocky said slowly, still looking at the picture. "But I think someone edited it."

"Huh?" Kat's head shot up at this.

"Yeah, look at how washed out I look in comparison to you. I look wicked pale!" He exclaimed, then thought a bit. "It's as if someone _wanted_ me to look like Tommy."

"You know what, you're right," Kat said as she took the picture from him. "Your outfit looks way lighter than mine does. And look!" Kat pointed at Rocky in the picture, "Someone drew a mole on your neck right where Tommy has one!"

Rocky's hand flew up to his neck, as if he was checking to make sure he really didn't have a mole there.

"But who took the picture?" Aisha piped up, trying to put all the pieces together.

"I don't know," Kat said, shaking her head, "but we need to find Kimberly and tell her the truth!" With that, she grabbed Rocky's hand and led the group out of the Youth Center, running for all they were worth.

-

Kimberly brushed more tears out of her eyes as she skipped stones across the lake. She knew she would end up at Angel Grove Park, and her feet had subconsciously carried her there.

"Kim-"

"I don't want to talk about it." She said monotonously to Jason's millionth attempt at starting a conversation.

"I just think-"

"I still don't want to talk about it."

They sat in silence for a while, until Kim couldn't take it anymore.

"Did you know?" She asked, trying to sound angry but only to have it come out pitifully.

"You know I didn't." Jason said in a sad voice. He couldn't believe this was happening to his two best friends. "I would've told you. I would've kicked Tommy's ass. I would've done _something_."

"Yeah," Kim sighed. "I guess you're right. It just sucked hearing it from my _mom_. It was embarrassing. Maybe it's a Hart legacy to just not be able to keep a guy."

"Don't say that, Kimmie. You know what I think?"

Kim dragged her eyes up to meet his. "What?"

"I think there's probably more to this than meets the eye. And I think your mom is jealous of you, and probably took way more pleasure out of yours and Tommy's breakup than she should have."

"My mom's not _jealous_ of me," Kimberly scoffed.

"Yes she is." Jason sounded so sure.

"Why would she be-"

"Because you're gorgeous. Because you had a flourishing, steady relationship, which is something she couldn't attain as a grown woman. Because you had your father's love and she didn't. Because-"

"Jason." She cut him off softly. "I am none of those things." She started to cry hard, and Jason couldn't find it in him to continue. "What's wrong with me?" She sobbed quietly.

"Wh...what do you mean?"

"Something must be wrong with me!"

"Nothing is-"

"I'm not good enough for Tommy. Or my mother. Or my coach. Or Duncan." She paused, looking at Jason, clearly distraught. "What's _wrong_ with me?!"

"Nothing's wrong with you." A soft voice floated through the air and Kimberly looked up to see Tommy standing a few feet behind them.

"What did I do?" She asked him softly. "Was it just the distance, or was I not being focused enough for you? I could've tried harder, I know, but if you had only _told_ me-"

Tommy just heaved a sigh and hung his head. Eventually he looked up, and said, "Who gave you that picture?"

"My mom." Kimberly said after a moment. "Not that it matters."

"Not that it matters!" Tommy threw his hands up in the air. "Not that it matters? Is that picture the reason you wrote the letter?"

"What?" Kimberly was becoming confused and felt guilty, although she had no idea why - she was the wronged party here! But she continued anyway. "Yeah, the picture _was_ the reason, Tommy. You _cheated_ on me!"

"No, I didn't!" He shouted.

"Yes, you did!" She shouted back.

"Tommy!" Kat shouted through the woods, coming into the clearing where the three teens stood, with a panting Rocky beside her. Kat quickly rushed up to Tommy, and Kim just turned away, hiding her face, unable to watch the two of them.

"Tommy, the picture-" she started.

"I don't understand!" Tommy cut her off. "That's not me in the picture!"

Kim, not sure she heard him right, turned slightly back towards him.

"We _know_, dude!" Rocky panted. "It's me!"

Tommy looked relieved for a second, then turned a curious glance at Rocky and Kat.

"_Really?_"

"Now is _not_ the time for that, Thomas." Kat said forcefully, stepping closer to Kim. She put her hand on Kim's arm and Kim shrugged out of her grasp.

"Kim," Kat said softly. "this isn't a real picture. It's been edited. That's Rocky in the picture, wearing a wig."

"Do you know how long I've spent staring at that picture?" Kimberly asked, whipping around. She was trying so hard to be angry, since this is what she had been working on for the past few months. "And it never felt like Tommy." Kimberly whispered, dropping to the ground.

Jason and Tommy made for her, but Kat held a hand up to ward them off for a few moments.

"Where did you get the picture, Kim?" Kat asked, trying to be heard over Kim's pitiful sobs.

"My mother said she took it herself." Kim answered, causing a collective gasp between the four other teens.

**Here I am, once again**

**I'm torn into pieces**

**Can't deny it, can't pretend**

**Just thought you were the one**

**Broken up, deep inside**

**But you won't get to see the tears I cry**

**Behind these hazel eyes**

Kim took the picture out of Kat's hands while everyone watched nervously. They were all reeling from the fact that Kimberly's mother had deliberately sabotaged their relationship, and put her own daughter through so much heartache.

Kim studied the picture, feeling more and more stupid as she did. Rocky's form wasn't as chiseled as Tommy's, he didn't have the same muscle sculpture. He also looked washed out, as though someone had lightened _only_ that part of the picture. Tommy's mole was a little too high up on his neck, she knew that usually it only barely peeked out of the collars of his shirts. She just continued to look at the picture, noticing more and more dissimilarities between Rocky and Tommy.

She slowly began to rip the picture apart. First, in half. Then in quarters. Then in eighths. And it continued that way for almost an entire minute, the four others watching in fascination as Kim proceeded to make confetti out of a fake picture that had determined so much of her life. She then threw the offending pieces into the lake, watching them absorb water and fade and float away.

-

They stood there in silence for a while, watching Kim watch the pieces of the picture float away. Rocky was the first to speak.

"Kat, c'mon..." He touched her shoulder gently, as she was still crouching down behind Kimberly. As she turned around, Rocky saw that she had tears in her eyes as well.

"'Kay..." She let him lead her away, leaving just Jason, Tommy, and Kimberly.

"Kim, I-"

"It's okay, Jase."

Jason just nodded and backtracked, making his way through the familiar woods of Angel Grove Park.

Tommy and Kim were enveloped in silence once again.

Finally, Kim spoke.

"I hated myself for so long." Kim looked up at Tommy, who was just looking back at her with confusion written on his face. "I tried hating you for a while." She explained. "But I just couldn't do it. I kept thinking I must have done something wrong to make you cheat."

"Kim, I..."

"Why did she do this, Tommy?" Tears filled her eyes once again.

"I...I don't know, Kim." Tommy said, taking steps towards her. "I don't have the answers this time." He stepped closer, causing Kim to stand and even take a few steps back.

"No, no, no. We can't do this." She said rushed.

"Do what?" Tommy asked incredulously. "I didn't _do_ anything! I didn't cheat, and I sure as hell didn't fall out of love with you."

"No," she moaned. "I...we can't...things between us...I just, don't think we can."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Tommy asked, exasperated. "Kim, you're moving back to Angel Grove! How am I supposed to..." he trailed off, his voice full of emotion. He swallowed thickly. "How am I supposed to see you everyday and not touch you?" He asked softly.

"I don't..." Kim shook her head vehemently, searching for the words. "I've fucked up enough good things in my life, Tommy." Tommy's eyes were now swimming with emotions, much like Kim's. "I'll stay out of your life, Tommy. If you...I won't go to the Youth Center, I won't force you to be around me."

"I can't ask you to not hang out with your friends, Kimberly." Tommy's voice was laced with sadness.

"Okay..."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"We just... we wait it out. See what happens. Given time, we should just..."

"_Forget_." The two whispered together.

Kimberly burst into tears and ran away, hating everything about her life at that moment.

**Here I am, once again**

**I'm torn into pieces**

**Can't deny it, can't pretend**

**Just thought you were the one**

**Broken up, deep inside**

**But you won't get to see the tears I cry**

**Behind these hazel eyes**


	4. Because Of You

**A/N: So thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate it, **_**seriously**_**. Hope you guys like this chapter and don't worry - next chapter will have more drama and more Tommy/Kim. The chapter following that should be mainly Tommy/Kim. Anywayyy, enjoy!**

The following days after Kimberly's encounter with Tommy were hell - for both of them. Kimberly barely left Jason's house, and Tommy moped around with the gang, making them all feel worse, if possible. Kat felt guilty about the entire situation, as did Rocky, even though both knew who was to really blame. Aisha and Adam kept to themselves, hanging out with Jason when possible. Jason and Tommy were still on rather rough terms. Jason had apologized for trying to beat him up, but Tommy had only shrugged it off, claiming he would have done the same. But anytime the two were in the same room together, it would always come down to the same debate - Jason would yell at Tommy to go talk to her, and Tommy would refuse, saying that Kim wanted it this way.

Currently, the two were sparring and debating at the same time in the Youth Center.

"This is what she wants, bro. Stop pushing it." Tommy said as he landed a jab into Jason's ribs.

"You know this isn't what she wants.

"How is it _not_ what she wants? She told me it herself."

"She's miserable without you." Jason swept his leg underneath Tommy's, effectively knocking him on his ass. He put a foot on his chest, preventing him from getting up and glared down at him. "And you know you are, too."

With that, Tommy didn't even try to fight back, he just lay back, exhausted, and Jason left for the locker room.

-

Meanwhile, across town, Kimberly was trying to get up the courage to walk into her old house. Her mom had never sold it after she moved to France, she just hadn't wanted Kimberly to live by herself when she was so young, so she was allowed to stay with the Campbells.

_You can do this, Kim_, she told herself as she held the key in her shaking hand. She finally mustered up the courage and unlocked the front door, walking into her childhood home that had so many memories for her.

It was fairly empty, in Kim's opinion. Sure, the furniture was still there, as her mother hadn't wanted to take it to France, and there were still random little things there - a cupboard filled with old mugs, for instance, or the dishes in the sink that had never managed to get washed.

It was the saddest thing for Kimberly to see. She dropped her backpack with a few snacks in it and extra room to bring things to Jason by the stairs, then she crept up the stairs to find her old bedroom. She had refused to move out of the house completely, and had left plenty of things behind. Nothing essential, of course, but enough for her to still feel the essence of home when she returned. She always told her mother that she'd return to Angel Grove one day, and when she did, she had wanted this to be her home.

Her mother had always just laughed and told her that you never could know what you want out of life - her father was living proof of that.

**I will not make the same mistakes that you did**

**I will not let myself cause m heart so much misery**

**I will not break the way you did**

**You fell so hard**

**I learned the hard way to never let it get that far**

Kimberly trace a finger around her favorite picture in the entire world. She had made plenty of copies of it, enough for her to leave one at every place she could ever call home. It was of her, her mother, and her father, before her father had left them. Kimberly was young in the photo - maybe eleven or twelve at the most - but she looked _so_ ecstatic, just to be there with her parents. They were in the backyard, a barbecue smoking in the background, a hammock hanging between two trees. It was a simple photo, and Kim loved it more than anyone knew. Well, almost anyone.

Kimberly had only told two people of how she felt about the photo - her mother, and Tommy. She had told her mother that it was her favorite memory of the family, and her mother had sighed, and told her when she grew up that she would have a different concept of "family." She had merely laughed at Kim when she said that she wanted a family just like theirs, in that photo.

"_You don't want that family, Kimmie." Her sat on the edge of Kim's bed and stroked her hair as Kim lay down, cradling the picture frame in her hands._

_"Yes, I do!" She insisted, as stubborn as only a fourteen year old can be._

_"No, my darling, you really don't." Caroline Hart sighed._

_"Why not? You keep telling me that I don't want it, and I want to know why!"_

_"Are you _sure_ you do?" Kimberly nodded vigorously. "You see that man?" She pointed to Kim's father. "He is the embodiment of a typical male. If you want that, then yes, you do want this family."_

_"What's a typical male?" Kim scrunched up her nose in confusion._

_"The typical male is one that is unable to commit to someone, even if he claims he loves her - like his own wife. The typical male is selfish and cold-hearted and is best to stay away from, sweetie."_

_Kimberly chewed her ponytail thoughtfully._

_"I don't think daddy's cold-hearted."_

_"Take it from me, Kimmie - never trust a male. They will hurt you in ways you never dreamed possible."_

Kimberly sighed as she recalled her mother's thoughts involving her infatuation with the family photo. But a smile graced her lips for the first time in a few days as she thought back to when she had told Tommy about the photo.

_"I know it's stupid, but I remember that day. We were _so_ happy. I want a family like that one day."_

_"It's not stupid, Beautiful, it's sweet." Kimberly rolled her eyes at her boyfriend._

_"You don't have to say that. I know you're probably like, heading for the hills at the mention of me wanting a family, but it's fine, you know. You don't have to be cool with it."_

_"Kim, don't you think that I want a family, too?" Tommy asked her pensively._

_"Mother says that men always _say_ that they want a family, but never do."_

_"Well, I hate to be the one to say this, especially since she already hates my guts, but you're mom is wrong when it comes to that."_

_"Oh yeah?" Kimberly asked, her hopes rising slightly._

_"Yeah," Tommy said, as he leaned over her bed and picked up a spare notebook and pencil that they had been using earlier to study with. He began to scribble furiously on a sheet of paper._

_"Whatcha doin'?" Kim asked, trying to peek over his shoulder and see what he was drawing. He kept nudging her away, until finally he turned around and pinned her to the bed, his hips keeping her in place as he sat calmly and finished his drawing._

_"Are you quite finished yet?" Kimberly giggled out._

_"Almost." Tommy signed the bottom of the page with a flourish, and looked at his work. "Now, I'm done."_

_"Will you let me up so I can see?" Kim feigned annoyance._

_"Ugh, fine." Tommy said as he leaned down and gave her a passionate kiss, before rolling off of her._

_He gave her the notebook and she snorted at his drawings as he looped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close to him._

_"Stick figures?" She asked, cocking her head slightly so she could look at his face. He just shrugged._

_"Hey, give a guy some credit for trying. And look, I labeled them." He pointed to the drawing with the pencil still in his hand._

_It was a drawing of two taller stick figures - labeled Kimberly and Tommy - and three tiny stick figures labeled 1, 2, and 3. In the background was a hastily drawn barbecue and haphazard hammock. At the bottom it read, 'Family Portrait.' with Tommy's signature beside it. All the stick figures were smiling widely and looked blissful - for stick figures, of course._

_"What's this?" Kimberly asked softly._

_"It's a new rendition of a very lovely picture."_

_"And who are 1, 2, and 3?"_

_"Well, I didn't know if you had any specific names for our kids, and for some reason Tommy Junior just doesn't sound right to me."_

_Kimberly adjusted herself so she could look properly at Tommy. At the man who proved everyday that he was not just another typical male. That he was special, that he cared. She leaned up and gave him a heartfelt kiss._

_"I love you so much." She said._

_"I'll have to draw stick figures more often," Tommy joked, receiving an elbow in his side, making him go serious again. "That'll be us one day, Kim. Just you wait and see."_

_The two kissed passionately, only for Tommy to break it apart a minute later._

_"Wha-?" Kim questioned, still aching for his lips._

_"I love you, too." He said as he leaned back down._

How had things gone so awry from what she had originally planned? She shuddered with the thought of the answer. Her mother. _How am I ever going to face her again?_ She wondered. _I need to talk to her. I need to have her explain how this is all a misunderstanding. I need her to tell me the truth._ She thought desperately.

Unfortunately, Kimberly didn't have much time to dwell on what she would say.

She heard the door creak open downstairs and, assuming it was Jason, called to the person. "I'm up here!"

"_Yes_, but why?" Kimberly whipped around to see her mother standing in the doorway, looking at her home in disgust.

"Mother?" Kim questioned in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," Caroline Dumas tapped her perfectly manicured nails on the door frame, "I got a call from Coach Echolls. He told me that all the money is refundable except for the security deposit we put down on your dorm room. Imagine my shock when I find out that my eighteen year old daughter has left her life's dream behind in the dust."

"You got your money back." Kimberly said bitterly as she turned back around, going through the pictures in boxes that lay before her.

"Well, I'm not even going to worry about that since you're going back to Florida tomorrow." Kimberly dropped the picture she had in her frames suddenly, and whipped around.

"You have to be mentally deranged to think I'm going back there willingly. How did you even find me here?!"

"Jason told me. That boy needs a serious attitude adjustment if you ask me. He used to be such a nice boy..." Kimberly snorted at her mother's transparency. "And yes, Kimberly, you are going back there." Her voice left no room for question, which was fine with Kim because she wasn't questioning _shit_.

"I'm eighteen and not going back there, and you can't make me."

"Kimberly, what are you going to do in Angel Grove? Pine after your ex-boyfriend?" Kimberly gulped. This was the confrontation she was hoping to not have for a couple of... millennia.

**Because of you**

**I never stray too far from the sidewalk**

**Because of you**

**I learned to play on the safe side**

**So I don't get hurt**

**Because of you**

**I find it hard to trust**

**Not only me, but everyone around me**

**Because of you**

**I am afraid**

"Want to talk about why he's my _ex_-boyfriend, mother?" Kimberly asked quietly. If Caroline Dumas was nervous, her demeanor didn't give her away.

"You were going no where with that boy, that was obvious." Kimberly gasped.

"Are you..._confessing_ that you lied to me? About Kat, about everything?" Kimberly's voice rose with every word.

"Kimberly, don't shout. It's unbecoming of you."

"DON'T SHOUT?" She practically screamed. "You ruined my life!"

"You're being over-dramatic right now, Kimberly. You're acting like a petty teenager." Her mother didn't sound overly concerned - she, if anything, sounded _bored_.

"Stop it." Kimberly said with barely contained fury.

"Stop what?"

"Stop doing what you always do! You always _belittle_ what I feel! Like, as if because I'm a teenager, nothing I feel matters! You always tell me to grow up, and get over it! You make me feel like I shouldn't feel _anything!_" Kimberly forced back her tears, determined not to let her mother see her cry.

"Look where emotions got you, Kimberly." Her mother sneered. "A broken heart and wounded pride. If you had only _listened_..."

"Holy shit, if I listened to you I can only imagine where I'd be. Right where you are, except at eighteen."

"And where exactly _'am' _I, Kimberly?"

"You're a cold, heartless bitch who can't stand to see anyone else happy."

Kimberly's mother moved in one fluid motion and slapped her daughter across the face.

"Never in my _life_ did I think my own daughter would treat me with such blatant disrespect."

Kimberly rubbed her cheek, but didn't regret her words for a minute.

"I would say it a million times, even if you slapped me every time, if it meant that it'd sink into your head."

**I lose my way**

**And it's not too long**

**Before you point it out**

**I cannot cry**

**Because I know**

**That's weakness in your eyes**

**I'm forced to fake a smile, a laugh**

**Every day of my life**

**My heart can't possibly break**

**When it wasn't even whole to start with.**

"I did what's best for you, Kimberly. You're too naive to see it now, and you're throwing away your life for nothing."

"Oh, _please,"_ Kimberly stood up. "I already threw away my life for nothing! I threw away my life in Angel Grove - my friends, my school, my _everything_ - for what? Competitive gymnastics? That life is not for me anymore. Maybe it never was."

"You don't know what you're saying. Being back in this town has tainted your brain. Why do you think I encouraged you to leave so young? Because I regret not doing it! Everything I did, it was for you. I was always trying to protect you. And this is the thanks I get?"

"Oh, thanks, mom." Kimberly replied snidely. "You abandoned me for my own good? Thanks. You made me believe my boyfriend was cheating on me to protect me? Even better. You try to convince me that I'm not good enough for anything? That's probably the best part. Thank you _so_ much, mother. Really. I mean it." Kim's voice would've led anyone listening to believe that 'meaning it' was probably the _last_ thing on her mind.

"Ungrateful brat!" Her mother spat.

"You were there for me when I thought Tommy was cheating on me! You saw how much I was hurting! How could just you stand there and watch and not say anything, knowing you were causing it!"

"He was going to hurt you in the end, Kimberly, could you really have been so naive as to not see it?" Her mother started to pace in the small room, it was all Kim could do to watch. "Your father did it to me. Pierre is _going_ to do it to me, I can feel it. That's why I'm here, without him-"

"You _left_ him?" Kimberly asked, outraged.

"No, for your information I did not _leave_ him, I'm sure that will be his doing in the next year or so."

"You really believe this, don't you?" Kimberly asked.

"Believe what? That all men do is hurt you? Then yes, I do. Because it's true."

"No, it's not, mother!" Kimberly got in her mother's path, blocking her from pacing. "Yeah, what happened to you and dad _sucked_, but still, you can't let that dictate what's going to happen to you and Pierre. And you sure as hell shouldn't have used it to dictate what was going to happen to Tommy and I! Do you even understand just how unfair to us that was?"

"Stop trying to parent me, Kimberly. I'm your mother. I know what's best."

"You don't know _anything!_" Kimberly shouted, marching past her mother and down the stairs, fully aware that her mother was following her. She walked to her backpack and shoved the framed picture of her family, and, known to no one else, but the stick figure drawing that Tommy had drew years earlier was tucked tightly behind it. Kimberly never showed that picture to anyone.

She pulled out a granola bar that Jason had been force feeding her for the past few days and started to unwrap it when it was snatched out of her hands.

"Give me that!" Kimberly tried to snatch it out of her mother's hands.

"No," Kimberly's mother said as she wrapped it back up carefully and threw it in an empty garbage pail in the doorway to the kitchen. "You've put on weight already, and you've only been back for what, a week?"

Kimberly just gasped and stared at her mother. She then started to laugh - but it was a bitter, harsh sound.

"What's so funny?" Her mother questioned sternly.

"Jason was right." She managed to say, staring at her mother with shock. "You _are_ jealous of me."

"Jason must be crazier than I thought," Caroline muttered.

"You are! You were jealous that I had things that you never would, and you took that out on me." Kim stared at her mother, wondering how she'd react to her newfound realization. "In the cruelest way possible," she added.

"I would _never-"_

"You **did**. You were mad that Tommy and I were so happy. You ruined our relationship not to protect me, but to spite me. And I bet you don't even understand that. I bet you believe that you were protecting me."

**Because of you**

**I never stray too far from the sidewalk**

**Because of you**

**I learned to play on the safe side**

**So I don't get hurt**

**Because of you**

**I find it hard to trust**

**Not only me, but everyone around me**

**Because of you**

**I am afraid**

"Everything I ever did was for you, Kimberly." Her mother told her with sincerity in her voice.

"You really believe that, don't you?" KIm was starting to understand her mother better and better. It didn't make what she did any less painful, or any less betraying, but it did put things in perspective.

"Haven't you been listening to me, Kimmie?"

"Don't call me that," Kim bit out. "And all I've ever done is listen to you, mother. You should know that."

"If you listened to me well enough, you would've stayed in Florida, with Duncan, and trained for the Pan Globals and gone on to the Olympics. Duncan will _never_ take you back now." Caroline say worriedly.

"I don't want him back!" Kimberly waved a hand in front of her mother's face. "Do you hear me? I don't want him back. He was _terrible_ mother. He was a terrible person and a terrible boyfriend and I am ashamed I spent anytime with him at all."

"Kimberly, you're not perfect and neither is he. You're lucky such a prominent young man took notice of you at all!"

"Yeah, real lucky." Kim muttered under breath.

"There you go again, not listening!"

"You know what I listened to?" Kimberly whipped around, glaring at her mother. "I listened to you when you complained about daddy for _years_. When you told me how rotten men were, I listened then. When you told me that they were all alike, I paid attention then. And worst of all, I listened to this all when I was like, what, fifteen? You made me lose all faith in love just because you did!

"And then Tommy came. And he made me think that _maybe_ you were wrong about all men. He made me so happy, mom! He was everything I needed. And you saw that - I _know_ you did. I know you saw what he meant to me. But you still felt the need to take that away from me. The worst mistake of my life has been _listening _to you! I listened to you when I should've trusted Tommy. So excuse me when I don't listen to you from here on out."

"You're _wrong_," Caroline's shaky voice rung out. "I saw what Tommy meant to you, yes, but I knew that in the end, it would only make things worse. It would only hurt all the more. You held him up on a pedestal! He was only going to fall that much farther. Trust me, the pain you feel when someone you believe to be perfect does something _ unforgivable_ is unbearable, Kimmie."

**I watched you die**

**I heard you cry**

**Every night in your sleep**

**I was so young**

**You should've known better**

**Than to lean on me**

**You never thought of anyone else**

**You just saw your pain**

**And now I cry**

**In the middle of the night**

**Over the same damn thing**

"That should've been my decision to make, mom! I have the right to give my heart and trust to anyone I want to and for any damn reason! You had no right to go and take that away from me."

"You were a teenager, you didn't know what trust was," Caroline reasoned.

"You're doing it again! Making it seem like just because I wasn't _forty_ I didn't know what I wanted out of life. I wanted Tommy, mom! And now I can't have that anymore, because you took it away from me."

"Tommy doesn't deserve you."

"Oh, really? I thought I was _lucky_ whenever any young man took notice of me?"

"I didn't-"

"Stop it, mom. In fact, stop all of this." Kimberly bent down and picked up her backpack. "When do you leave Angel Grove?"

"Well, I was hoping-"

"No. When are you leaving?" Kimberly looked at her mother dead in the eyes, not allowing any emotion to creep in, even though on the inside she was screaming.

"My flight leaves tonight." Caroline gave in.

"What are you doing with the house?"

Caroline presented papers from a brief case she had placed down near the stairs, gone previously unnoticed by Kimberly.

"It's yours, as of your eighteenth birthday. I don't want anything to do with it." She said, pulling out a manilla folder filled with deed papers and such. "You can live in it, or sell it, or do whatever you'd like, really."

Kimberly took the folder and glanced at it's contents. It looked real enough. She started to walk towards the door.

"Kimberly-"

"Don't." Kimberly said without turning around. "I can't do this right now. I'll call you. I don't know when. Might not be for a while." And with that, she left her childhood home and childhood behind.

-

Taking a slight detour on the way back to Jason's, Kimberly found herself outside the Youth Center. She stepped into the familiar spot her feet were in only a few days ago - outside the window, looking in at the familiar faces.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to Tommy. He was presently kicking the crap out of a punching bag, sweat dripping off his brow and his cheeks flushed from the exertion. He looked just as handsome as ever.

She noticed some of the gang sitting by Ernie's counter, enjoying smoothies. Her eyes drifted from Adam, to Aisha, to Kat, to Jason, who was staring at her. He didn't look angry or mad or confused even. He was waiting, wondering what her decision would be. Would she stand outside and watch her life drift by as she had before? Or would she come inside where her friends were ready to welcome her with open arms?

He didn't have to wait long, because soon after Kim caught his eye she drifted away from the window. A minute went by, and after seeing no Kim come inside, Jason sighed. He would have to ease her into it, he supposed.

However, after five minutes, a small voice caught his attention.

"Ernie, do you mind?"

There Kimberly was, in a pink leotard with a windbreaker draped over her shoulders. She was talking to Ernie and gesturing to the balance beam.

"Be my guest, Kimberly." Ernie said happily, feeling like things might be returning to the way they used to be. When his favorite customers came in and used his equipment and brought a general sense of well being to the Center.

Kimberly gave him a genuine smile and made her way to the balance beam, not looking at any of her friends for fear of what she might see. Instead, she leapt onto the balance beam and began one of her more complex routines, one that she knew would require all of her undivided attention.

She performed flawlessly, despite the eyes that were on her the entire time. Tommy's punching bag almost knocked him over as it came swinging back to him the second after he realized Kimberly was there. She was executing backflip after backflip, doing cartwheels handlessly, and managed to complete a handstand beautifully, slowly splitting her legs until they were parallel with the balance beam, above her head. She let herself become completely absorbed with the routine, and finally culminated it with a layout worthy of gold at any competition, doing a twisting flip and landing gracefully beside the beam, sticking it and instinctively raising her hands in the traditional pose.

She quickly lowered them in embarrassment, lowering her eyes at the claps that were coming from different areas of the gym.

"Hey, superstar," she rose her eyes at Jason's voice. "Come get a smoothie with us? On me." Tommy had now joined the group and everyone at the table was wondering whether or not she would come over. A collective exhale occurred when she let out a small smile.

"I'd love to."

**Because of you**

**I never stray too far from the sidewalk**

**Because of you**

**I learned to play on the safe side**

**So I don't get hurt**

**Because of you**

**I try my hardest just to forget everything**

**Because of you**

**I don't know how to let anyone else in**

**Because of you**

**I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty**

**Because of you**

**I am afraid.**

**Because of you.**


	5. Gone

**A/N: I am an updating fool! Juuust kidding. Sort of. Anyway, thanks for the reviews! I loved every single one of them. Seriously. And to answer some questions - yes, there will be Rangers doing their Ranger-y stuff in here, but it's not like, a domineering story point. There will definitely be more T/K - in fact, I think the next chapter, **_**Addicted**_**, miiiight be a little NC17. Forewarned is forearmed. Or something. Goodnight & Enjoy!**

Kim was slowly edging her way back into her old world, and she had to admit - it felt wonderful. Things were still slightly strained with Tommy, but that could have been expected. Both of them still felt the urges to do things that they would've done when they were together - Tommy's hands, for instance, itched to pull Kim down in his lap every time she walked by, and Kim found herself looking at Tommy after anyone in the group said something ridiculous, or awkward, or funny. It was something that previously, the two of them would revel in, both understanding each other. Kim was never disappointed when she looked up, though - Tommy was always watching her, too. It made Kim all the more frustrated.

The gang was currently at the Youth Center, hanging out before it came time for them all to catch a movie. Tommy had inched his chair closer and closer to Kimberly's hoping she wouldn't notice. Or maybe hoping she would. He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was furious at Kim for making decisions about _their_ relationship and not even consulting him. So he was not going down without a fight.

All in all though, it did seem like a very good day for Kim and Tommy. Kim, for the moment, had forgotten about staying away from Tommy, and was enjoying his company immensely.

"You must be _crazy_ if you think I'm going to see that," Aisha said to Rocky, pointing at the movie listings in the paper he was reading. "It's only supposed to be the scariest movie ever!"

"C'mon, you can just hide your eyes or something," Rocky said as he wrapped an arm around Kat and leered at her.

"Rocky, just because _you_ have someone to hide your face in, doesn't mean the rest of us do," Adam joked. Kimberly snorted and almost spit out the mouthful of smoothie she had. She coughed a little, her eyes watering.

"Whoa there," Tommy said as he patted her back gently. She sent him a grateful look.

"Listen, having someone or not," Kimberly's eyes drifted to Tommy's unknowingly, "scary is just that: scary. Can't we go see something funny?"

"Whatever you do," Tommy said as he placed his hand on the table in front of him, "Do _not_ let Kim choose the movie." Kim laughed but swatted him playfully.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, almost offended.

"I'm serious," Tommy said, turning to her. "Every time I let you choose the movie, you chose the _longest_ one."

"I only made you watch Titanic three times!"

"The director's cut, Kim!"

"It made it better!"

"That was ten hours!"

"You only watched about 2!" She shot back, referring to their heated makeout sessions that usually ensued whenever the couple tried to watch a movie.

"Oh yeah," Tommy replied humbly.

"_Yeah_," Kimberly said dryly.

The rest of the gang laughed at their interplay, all of them wondering how long their 'no relationship' status was going to last.

"Alright Kim, well how about..." Whatever Rocky said after that was lost to Kimberly as her eyes happened to glance around the room and they settled on the newcomer by the doorway. Duncan.

Her hand instinctively gripped Tommy's.

"Kim?" He looked at her worriedly, and followed her gaze. "Do you know him?" He asked in a strangled voice.

Kim still didn't respond though, her hand just continued to grip his tightly. What was he _doing_ there? He didn't love Kim, hell, he barely liked her, and he definitely didn't like her enough to shell out $350 on a roundtrip plane ticket to California just to...just to what? She wondered. To put her down some more? She could only imagine what Duncan was doing in Angel Grove.

Tommy was beginning to advance to the next level of worry. Kim was _scared_ of this guy. Or at least very intimidated. He didn't have time to be jealous, he was just going to have to trust Kim to tell him everything later. Right now he was focusing on the guy that walked towards their table, a sneer on his face.

"Kimberly," he smiled at her, although it looked fake and cold.

**What you see is not what you get**

**With you there's just no measurement**

**No way to tell what's real from what isn't there**

**Your eyes, they sparkled, that's all changed**

**Since the lights that dropped like acid rain**

**You washed away the best of me**

**You don't care**

**You know you did it.**

"What are you doing here?" Kim had wanted so desperately to sound strong and brave, but her voice betrayed her when it trembled ever so slightly. Just enough for Duncan to know it and become more cocky.

"Your mom bought me a ticket and told me to come get you."

_Damn her!_ Kim thought. _Hasn't she ruined my life enough? Didn't anything I say yesterday sink in for her?_

"Come get me?" Kim questioned.

"You know. To bring you home."

"I _am_ home." She insisted.

"Your _real_ home. You know, where people _care_ about you." He shot a knowing look at Tommy. Kimberly had to snort at this.

"What alternate version of Florida do you live in where people care about me down there?"

"Coach Echolls is willing to take you back, Kimmie," If he noticed Kim wince at the nickname he gave no indication of it, "If that isn't care, I don't know what is."

"Well, it's quite obvious you don't know what care is." Kim bit back.

Duncan stood there, rocking back slightly on his heels. This wasn't going exactly how he had planned. Besides, Caroline Dumas had told him that he would get $5,000 if he could manage to bring Kimberly back to Florida. He was going to have to pull out all the stops.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" He tried a different approach.

Kim released Tommy's hand for the first time, only to put her head in both of her hands. _This is not happening_, she thought bitterly before raising her head.

"Adam, Aisha, Rocky, Kat, Billy, Jason, Tommy." She said hurriedly as she indicated to each of them. "Guys, this is...Duncan. Duncan's from Florida. Duncan's going back to Florida _very soon._"

"If you want me to go," he joked.

"I do." Kimberly said, serious. "Go. Now. Please."

Duncan deliberately ignored her and pulled up a chair on the other side of Kim, flipping it around for him to straddle.

"Jesus Christ." Kimberly muttered.

"I just want to talk to you, Kimberly. It's clear that you don't want to, but I don't want to settle for that." Duncan sounded so sincere, but Kim saw right through him. Unfortunately, Aisha didn't.

"Talk to the man, girl!" Kimberly shot Aisha the death glare and then turned to Duncan.

"Last time we talked you were calling me an idiot. And a fool."

Duncan noticed how the faces all around the table got darker, and Tommy looked like he was about to leap over the table and punch him right then and there. He had to cover some ground.

"That was taken out of context, sweetheart." Kimberly rolled her eyes at the endearment. "Of course I was mad that you were leaving me - what man wouldn't? What man would give you up willingly?" The question was directed at Tommy, who stood up.

"Who the hell do you-" Kimberly stood up to cut him off.

"Fine," she said as she pulled Duncan up by his collar, "we'll talk. Over there." She pointed to a corner of the gym. Duncan almost slipped by yelling at her for manhandling him, but he couldn't chance her not coming back to Florida. He had 5 grand at stake.

"Go." She pointed again. Duncan wanted to break her finger. "I'll be there in a sec." Duncan sulked off, and Kim turned to Tommy.

"Kim, he seems-"

"However he seems, he's ten times worse, I guarantee." She grimaced, but moved closer to Tommy, standing only a few inches away from him. "I just didn't want you to get in trouble 'cause of me." She said softly.

"If you need _anything,"_

"You're right over here. Got it." She smiled at his protectiveness. It was always one of her favorite qualities of Tommy.

"Be safe." He said as he resisted the urge to hug her, and hated every second of it.

-

"Something about him rubs me the wrong way," Jason commented as they watched Kim walk to Duncan in the corner.

"He surely does not seem like a formidable companion for Kimberly." Billy stated factually.

"I'm going to kick his ass."

"You don't think that might be, I don't know, overkill, buddy?" Rocky gave his friends a sideways glance.

"No."

"I don't think we should interfere," Adam said pensively. "This is Kim's battle."

"I hope Kim's alright," Aisha stared at the couple talking in the corner.

"Of course she will be," Kat said in her sweet Australian accent. "Kim's the strongest girl I know." _At least, she used to be_, Kat thought hopelessly.

-

**I'm gone**

**To find someone to live for in this world**

**There's no light at the end of the tunnel tonight**

**Just a bridge that I gotta burn**

**You were wrong**

**To think you could walk right through my door**

**That is just so you**

**Coming back when I finally moved on**

**I'm already gone.**

"Why are you really here, Duncan?" Kim asked once she reached the corner where Duncan stood patiently. She tapped her foot, and Duncan glared down at it.

"Got somewhere else to be, Kim?"

"Anywhere but here, actually." She said defiantly. Duncan was somewhat put off - she had never acted this way when they were in Florida.

"I didn't realize you were so sarcastic. Angel Grove must really bring out the _best_ of you."

"No, just you." Kim retorted, almost covering her mouth afterwards. It had just slipped out, she hadn't even thought about it. Duncan just looked at her, calmly assessing what he was going to have to do in order to get her back to Florida. This 'new' Kim was trying his patience, though.

"Kim, look, in all honesty, I miss you." He didn't expect her to snort at that.

"Honesty? You were never honest in our relationship, ever. Except maybe on the day I left, when you called me an idiot." He raised his eyebrows. "I was an idiot for ever being with you."

"Oh really? It took you how many months to realize that? If I was so bad, why did you stay with me?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Kim sighed. "But I won't. I stayed with you because everyone told me that I should be so grateful that you even noticed me. I know better now. I _deserve_ better now."

"Oh, so you come back to Angel Grove, wanting your fairy tale ending? Waiting for you white knight to come and rescue you so the two of you can fall madly in love? What a great fairy tale Kim, but face it - that's all it is. A fairy tale. It's not real life. _This_," he gestured between them, "is."

"I never said I needed a fairy tale." Kim was felt her spirit start to dampen. How did Duncan manage to make her feel so badly every time he was around her?

"That's right, you just need _Tommy_." Duncan spat the name out, making it sound bitter and foreign.

"I also never said I came back for Tommy, either. I came back for myself. Tommy and I are over." It was Duncan's turn to snort.

"Yeah, because the two of you looked _so_ over when you were grabbing his hand," Duncan slipped back into his obnoxious personality.

"What I do doesn't matter to you anymore, because, newsflash: we are not together anymore, Duncan."

"So I can't be concerned about who you're with?"

"You're not concerned, you're jealous!"

"I have a right to be!" His voice started to raise.

"No! You don't!"

"Duncan. Our relationship was rocky at best."

"It was good though." He deadpanned, causing Kimberly to stare at him as if he had three heads.

"Duncan, the entire time, you were sleeping with Jessie!"

"It was just sex. You weren't sleeping with me, what was I supposed to do?"

"This is a _great_ way to get me to come back to Florida with you, just so you know." Kimberly said sarcastically.

**Sometimes shattered, never opened**

**Nothing matters when you're broken**

**That was me whenever I was with you**

**Always ending, always over**

**Back and forth, up and down**

**Like a roller coaster**

**I am breaking that habit today**

**You know you did it.**

"What do you think they're talking about?" Aisha asked curiously, still avidly watching the pair.

"Dunno," Jason muttered. He looked at Tommy, who was gritting his teeth and clenching Kim's vacated chair back. "Bro, you are going to do some serious damage to that chair if you don't chill out."

"What?" Tommy released his hand quickly, as if he had just noticed he was holding onto something. "Sorry, I just...what _are_ they talking about?"

"He's asking her to come back to Florida. She's giving him reasons not to, and he's doing a piss poor job at rebutting them."

Everyone stared at Kat.

"How do you know that?" Asked Adam.

"Oh, please, it's so obvious." She pointed at the couple in question. "Look at their body language. Kim keeps putting her hands on her hips, to make a point. He keeps biting his lip, as if he knows he can't disagree with what she's saying, but he keeps trying. Quite futile, if you ask me."

"Huh," Rocky tilted his head, "I still don't see it."

"Go figure." Kat laughed.

"Kat's right," Tommy said, as if he was in awe, "I can tell Kim's defensive stance anywhere." The others exchanged a look. Tommy said it as if it were the most romantic thing in the world, but to the others it just seemed rather, well, _lame_.

"Defensive stance?" Billy questioned.

"Yeah, you know. She's putting up a hell of a fight. And not backing down at all." Tommy said with pride.

"Think this is the opportunity you need?" Jason asked conversationally, although the questioned was weighted more than anyone wanted to acknowledge. Tommy just shrugged.

"She still loves me. I know that. I can see it in her eyes." He sounded casual, but he was anything but. "I just don't know how to convince her that it's the right thing to do. I don't even know her reasons for not wanting to be together."

"Boys really are dense, aren't they?" Aisha asked Kat in a stage whisper.

"Hey!" Rocky objected.

"Not you," Kat said, then thought better of it. "Well, yes, you, but we're not talking about you at the moment."

"What do you two know that I don't?" Tommy asked rather hesitantly.

"Are you telling me seriously that you have no idea as to why Kimberly would be somewhat reluctant to start a relationship with you again?"

"Yes! I mean, the only thing I can even think of is that she thinks I'll hold the past against her, which is ridiculous." Kat and Aisha gave him pointed looks. "It's _not_ ridiculous?"

"Of course not!" Kat exclaimed.

"My girl's always had some self confidence issues, especially when it came to you, boy."

"She can't possibly think that I would judge her after everything? I mean, yes, the letter hurt, but I can't even begin to think of how she must have felt when she saw the picture. I mean, even _I_ almost believed the picture, and I'm supposed to know what I look like."

"She feels like she should've known it wasn't you, and she feels like you won't forgive her for not knowing." Kat explained.

"Did she tell you this?" Tommy asked suspiciously.

"No, but it's obvious."

"It is?"

**I'm gone**

**To find someone to live for in this world**

**There's no light at the end of the tunnel tonight**

**Just a bridge that I gotta burn**

**You were wrong**

**If you think you could walk right through my door**

**That is just so you**

**Coming back when I finally moved on**

**I'm already gone**

"Hey," Jason said, motioning with his head to the area where Kim and Duncan were standing.

Their voices were growing louder and although no one suggested it, the gang's voices instantly died in their throats as they listened in to their conversation.

-

"Think of how _good_ it could be, Kimmie!" Duncan wasn't worried about keeping his voice down, he was not approaching goddamn desperation to get Kim to agree to go back to Florida.

"Think of how bad it was!" She was having none of his sweet talking, and frankly, it was getting on her nerves.

"I'm sorry, okay! I don't know what else you want me to say, but I'm sorry! I'm sorry about Jessie, I'm sorry that I'm not perfect, okay, but I don't need to remind you that you're not either!" He shouted.

"You don't need to, but you do it anyway!" She tried to bring her voice down, but she already knew she attracted the attention of her friends.

"Well, what do you want me to say, Kim?" He asked, and she noticed out of the corner of her eye her friends getting up, Jason and Tommy making their way over to them. She shook her head slightly and they stopped about 15 feet behind Duncan. "I could tell you that you're a wonderful gymnast, but you're not." He spat. Tommy turned red.

"I could also tell you that you're fantastic, sweet, or fucking beautiful, since that's all you ever wanted to hear, but that's _not_ true, and I wouldn't think that you wanted to date a _liar._" Duncan's idea of doing this the sweet way was thrown out the window. If he couldn't charm Kimberly into coming back to Florida with him, he'd have to make her feel bad enough to go on her own volition. However, he didn't get a chance to think through his plan a little more, because with a resounding _thwap!_ his cheek started to sting. He looked at Kimberly in shock - had she just _slapped_ him?

"I _never_ wanted you to call me beautiful." She yelled at him. "And all you fucking are is a liar."

**There is nothing you can say**

**Sorry doesn't cut it, babe**

**Take the hint and walk away**

'**Cause I'm gone**

**Doesn't matter what you do**

**It's what you did that's hurting you**

**All I needed was the truth**

**Now I'm gone**

**What you see is not what you get**

**What you see is not what you get.**

In retrospect, Duncan would've known it wasn't the smartest thing to do given the setting. But, he was so fired up and a girl had just _slapped_ him. He wasn't thinking clearly, and he pulled back and punched Kimberly Hart in the face.

He barely had a second to revel in the feelings of power and control that were racing through his body at that one punch, when he felt his feet being swept off the ground. Tommy had leapt the second he saw Duncan pull back, but he wasn't fast enough. He was instantly on the smaller man, punching him in the face, abdomen, legs, anything he could reach.

Jason, on the other hand, raced for Kim. He watched Duncan pull back as well, and he saw him release the punch onto the small frame of Kimberly. He was forced to watch Kim's head hit the wall with enough force to put a hole in the wall had it been made out of anything except reinforced steel.

Jason cradled Kim's unconscious head in his hands as the others raced over.

"Get him off of him!" Jason shouted to Rocky and Adam, indicating Tommy beating Duncan to a pulp. The two men used all their strength to restrain their friend without hurting him, and without hurting themselves.

Tommy was still struggling against his two friends to continue to beat the now moaning and bleeding Duncan on the ground, when Jason's voice rung out.

"Tommy, get over here." Tommy's flushed face drained of all color at the sight of Kimberly's closed eyes and discolored cheek, with bruising already beginning to show. He knelt down beside Jason and stroked her head.

"Beautiful," he murmured, unsure of what to do.

"Here," Jason shifted Kimberly into Tommy's lap. "This was always your thing anyway." He said with a small smile, vaguely remembering a time in the distant past when Kimberly would faint constantly at even the mere thought of Tommy.

"Wake up, Beautiful," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know it hurts but you gotta wake up. Please." He begged.

Kim let out a slight moan at this, but didn't wake up. Tommy continued to whisper to her until her eye lids fluttered open.

"Ungh." Her head as _screaming_. It was the worst pain she had ever endured - no gymnastics accident ever compared, and one of the perks of being a Ranger was rapid healing.

Tommy just continued to speak, stroking her jaw line where the bruise was starting to form gently.

"Can you move your jaw?" He asked.

She hesitantly adjusted her jaw with her hands, not moving her head from Tommy's lap.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Tommy asked out of sheer desperation for her to stay awake. He held up three and waited for her answer.

"Eight." She moaned.

"Close enough." He laughed, and she moaned again, ready to fall back asleep. "Hey, hey, don't go to sleep."

"Why not?"

"Because you might have a concussion, Beautiful."

"Beautiful..." she echoed, "sounds better when you say it." She managed, and then regained some sense. "Why does it matter if I have a concussion or not? I'm tired..."

"I _know_ you're tired, but stay awake a little longer at least. For me?" He pled.

She moaned a noise, and Tommy took it for assent as he gently picked her up, resting her head on his shoulder. He knew he shouldn't be as pleased as he was, given the situation, but her head just fit on his shoulder. Like it was meant to be there. _Next time_, he told himself, _next time she won't have a concussion. She'll want her head to be there_.

He stood with her in his arms and looked around to the gang, but no bloody Duncan.

"Where'd he go?" They all looked guilty.

"He must've crawled out of here when we weren't looking," Adam said, looking abashed. "Sorry, man, we weren't really paying close attention."

"Yeah, it didn't look like he was going anywhere for a while," Rocky added. The girls just looked on worriedly from behind them, wondering how Kim was doing.

"Kim?" Jason asked softly, stepping to Tommy and brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"My head hurts." She whined softly.

"I bet it does," Jase said with a laugh. "If you didn't have such a hard head, it would've gone through the wall."

"Bet it woulda hurt less." She was getting cranky, but still managed to find it in her to love the way her body felt in Tommy's arms.

"You mind if I stay over tonight, bro?" Tommy asked Jason. He received a suspicious look as an answer. "If she has a concussion, she'll need to be woken up every two hours." He explained.

"And you're volunteering?" Jason asked. Tommy just gave a curt nod.

"Party at the Scott residence, sweet!" Aisha smacked Rocky. "What was that for?!"

-

It was 4 a.m. and Tommy was watching Kim sleep, giving her a few extra minutes before he had to wake her up. He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep that night, not only due to the uncomfortable chair he was sitting in, and had been for the past 6 hours, but due to Kim's condition. She was doing fine - she was responsive when woken up, if a little snarky, and her pupils were dilated evenly. But it was the entire situation that caused unrest in Tommy.

He had seen Kim get hurt before. As Power Rangers, it was inevitable that injuries were going to happen. But, as many times as he had seen Kim get hurt, he had seen her get right back up only minutes after taking a hit. This...this seeing Kimberly get hurt only to not be able to bounce right back from it...it was disconcerting, to say the least.

Tommy shook his head of thoughts of Kimberly getting hurt and that bastard, Duncan. He knew he would find him. Something told him that despite it being a terrible idea, the guy was probably going to hang around Angel Grove. Maybe try to get even with Tommy.

Tommy was counting on it.

He finally slid off the chair and perched on the edge of her bed, grimacing as he saw the dark black and blue mark on her cheek and jaw. He stroked her face and hair lightly.

"Beautiful, it's time to wake up..."

Nothing.

"C'mon, I know you don't want to, but you have to..."

Nothing.

He shook her a little bit. "Kimberly." He tried the full name.

Nothing.

Finally, fresh out of ideas, he just looked towards the ceiling.

"What the heck."

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. Their lips clung together, and then, before Tommy even understood what was happening, he felt himself breathe Kimberly's breath. And then... she kissed him back.

Whether he was awake or not, Tommy didn't know. But she had definitely pressed her lips ever so gently against his. Tommy saw this as an opportunity, and traced the outline of her lips with his tongue. She parted her lips and they started to partake in what would come to be one of their most passionate kisses ever. It was different this time, though.

This kiss was filled with love and hope and passion and fervor and everything a good kiss should have. It was all those things and more.

**You know you did it**

**I'm gone**

**To find someone to live for in this world**

**There's no light at the end of the tunnel tonight**

**Just a bridge that I gotta burn**

**You were wrong**

**If you think you could walk right through my door**

**That is just so you**

**Coming back when I've finally moved on**

**I'm already gone**

**I'm already gone**

**I'm already gone.**


	6. Addicted

**A/N:: Okay, so this is a much more MATURE chapter, hence the 'M' rating, so you know, if you're under the age of 17 and/or just don't want to read graphic-y material, this chapter is proooobably not for you. Only the end part, anyway. If that is you, I would advise you to turn back now or stop reading after the second chorus.**

**In other news, all your reviews are TOO sweet, and they make me happier each day. I know this isn't that long, but all the other stuff I want to write doesn't fit in with this chapter, per se.**

It had been five days since Kim and Tommy's impromptu makeout session. Five days. Their kissing that night had lasted for hours, or so it had seemed. In reality it was probably only a half hour of them barely breathing, just kissing fervently. There had been roaming hands, but nothing more.

Five days.

Kim had been making an active effort to ignore Tommy since then. She hadn't meant for anything to happen that night, and in a way, she knew Tommy didn't either. He couldn't have known that she would respond the way she had - hell, _she_ didn't know that she would respond like that when she felt Tommy's lips press against hers.

Kimberly had been desperately trying to make sense of what had happened that night. They had kissed, that much had been obvious, but now... why was it so hard for her? So hard to stay away, so hard to see him, so hard to think about anything except Tommy?

_Goddamn him_, she thought as she ran a lap around Angel Grove Lake. She had discovered that running, albeit tiring and totally _not_ fun, did help to keep her mind off of Tommy. She just didn't understand why she couldn't stop thinking about him. She was so convinced that they had gotten over each other. Well, she thought she had anyway, and she used to be positive he had... _but everything's changed now!_ She ran a hand through her hair as she slowed her run to a jog. _Maybe I just need to talk to him. Maybe after I talk to him and explain to him how silly I'm being things will be okay._

She was assuming, of course, that Tommy would talk to her. She had been told by Jason that Tommy was a little confused and more than a little pissed at her for avoiding him at all costs. She just didn't know what to do! She had gone to the Youth Center the day after the cursed makeout sesh, but one look in the window and she saw Tommy working out. And goddamn her, him, and her hormones, she wanted to take him right there. She fled after that - she didn't know how to react to that. But now, even after not seeing Tommy, she was dreaming about him, thinking about, fantasizing about him, in essence: going _crazy_.

She nodded as she made her way back to Jason's. She would just go and see him, explain how ridiculous she was being and apologize to him for avoiding him.

She just had to go home and make herself look beautiful first, of course. It was stupid to Kim even as she made her way up Jason's stairs and to the shower. Why did it matter if she looked sweaty and gross if she was just going to Tommy's to talk about their _platonic_ relationship? Why did it matter if she wasn't wearing her matching lacy underwear and bra set that made her look incredible that she had bought with Tommy in mind?

_It doesn't, _Kim thought as she pulled out the best outfit she had. _It doesn't at all._

-

She stood in front of Tommy's front door and, as she had for the past ten minutes, argued with herself continuously about actually walking up and knocking on the door. Sometimes she would get up to the front door, other times she would linger by his mailbox at the end of the driveway. Either way, her feelings weren't getting resolved, which is why she was there in the first place. Wasn't it?

**It's like you're a drug**

**It's like you're a demon I can't face down**

**It's like I'm stuck**

**It's like I'm running from you all the time**

**And I know I let you have all the power**

**It's like the only company I seek is misery all around**

**It's like you're a leech**

**Sucking the life from me**

**It's like I can't breathe**

**Without you inside of me**

**And I know I let you have all the power**

**And I realize I'm never gonna quit you over time**

Finally, as she stood at the bottom of the five steps that led up to Tommy's front door, it opened. Of it's own volition. Kim almost yelled out in shock as she watched Tommy open the door.

"Kim?" He questioned softly. She gave him a little finger wave.

"Hey." She bit her lip then cocked her head. "How'd you know I was here?" Tommy laughed a little and Kim could've closed her eyes, that was how blissful she was just to hear his laugh.

"My neighbor called. Said I had a strange girl stalking in front of my house, and that I should either invite her in or tell her to leave before she called the cops." Kim had to laugh and the pair looked across the street at his nosy neighbor's house. A tiny old lady was peering out behind old curtains, letting them fall when she noticed Tommy and Kim's withering stares.

"So," Kim started, looking up at him hopefully, "can I come in?"

"Of course," He held the door open wider, "my parents are gone for the week, so we'll have privacy."

Kimberly stumbled on the stair she was on when he said that. _Shit_, she thought, _this will do nothing to coop up my hormones. We're alone in his house!_

"You okay?" Tommy asked, taking a hold of her elbow and guiding her into the house, closing the door firmly behind them.

"Yeah," she turned and faced him, then twisted her fingers in her hand and shook her head with a sigh, "No."

Tommy held a hand in front of him, indicating for Kim to proceed into the living room. She went and did a mental eye roll at the fact that she was secretly pleased - Tommy's bedroom was on the first floor, wasn't it?

Kim could've slapped herself. Here she was, a virgin, and seeing Tommy for the first time in - _how_ long? And she was daydreaming about them having sex after being reunited for only a few weeks. And they hadn't even been together in those weeks, due to her and her stupid ideas. She found herself more attracted to Tommy than ever before, and more entranced with him as well.

Tommy took a seat on the couch and Kim decided that being near him might not be a great idea, and took the recliner that faced the couch, with a coffee table between the two. And, just as the silence was beginning to get uncomfortable (who was she kidding? It had been uncomfortable the entire time), Tommy and Kim both tried to speak.

"Kim-"

"Look,-"

The two stopped and laughed, smiling at each other, before Kim continued.

"Look, Tommy, just have some stuff I need to say. And I just...just promise me you won't interrupt? Even if you want to? I need to get all this out and I'm nervous that if I stop halfway through then I won't be able to get it all out..." She looked at Tommy expectantly. He let out a reluctant sigh.

"Fine." He sounded resigned to saying that, but he agreed.

"Okay, well, Tommy, I know you're probably pissed that I've been sort of M.I.A. these past few days," She glared at him as he gave a snort, "but I just... I just don't know what to do! And it's your fault!" She was gaining momentum as the words spilled out of her head, the same things she had been ranting about in all of her runs around the lake, especially the one earlier that day.

"I came back here with every intention of just, like, moving on with my life! And I had fully expected you to as well, but I guess that's because I thought you were with Kat but I'm still sort of sure because you know, even if you hadn't been with Kat and you still got the letter I sent and you were single, I would think that you would have been well on your way to getting over me, even then," The words were pouring out of her mouth now, and Tommy couldn't have gotten a word in even if he had tried. "So here I am, just thinking you're over me and then I come back and you tell me that you hadn't fallen out of love with me and I can't understand why at all, because I sure as hell wouldn't be in love with me.

"And so I tell you - and I still think this - that being together would just be, I don't know, _bad_. Like, how are you supposed to trust me? I couldn't even tell you from Rocky in a picture! I am an idiot, Tommy! You were supposed to be the boy I was in love with, and I didn't recognize you in the first place! So I thought telling you, saying it out loud that I thought you and I being together was a bad idea would like, put the idea in my head. But I don't think it did." She twisted her hair around her finger and looked up somewhat pensively.

**It's like I can't breathe**

**It's like I can't see anything**

**Nothing but you**

**I'm addicted to you**

**It's like I can't think**

**Without you interrupting me**

**In my thoughts**

**In my dreams**

**You've taken over me**

**It's like I'm not me**

**It's like I'm not me**

Tommy sat on the couch through all of this, unsure of what to make of the entire situation. He had remained true to his word, not interrupting, but there were some things he _had_ to make clear to Kim at the end of the tirade. He was angry at some of the generalizations she had made, but at the same time it was funny to him, how similar this Kim was to the Kim that had left so many months before. She had slipped right back into her somewhat valley girl speak, having a conversation somewhat _directed_ at him, yet more to herself at the same time. Tommy remember countless times that this had happened in high school, and he couldn't help but smile in remembrance. Soon enough though, Kim started talking.

"What's so funny?" She shot at him, but not pausing long enough for him to answer. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, I thought this entire thing was behind me. You. Me. All of it. And then I come back and you make me feel all these _emotions_. And I don't even know what they mean! Like, seriously, they don't make any sense! I find myself thinking about you all the time, and I find myself worried about you if Jason tells me the Power Rangers had a battle, and I find myself dreaming and fantasizing-"

"_Fantasizing?_" Tommy interjected, interested.

"No speaking! And yes, _fantasizing_, which makes me think that I really _have_ lost it like Jason says, and for your information, while I did have all these feelings in Florida, they have been magnified like, a billion times while I'm here. It's so hard being near you, you don't understand! I have all these feelings, and when I'm near you, I just want to touch you, and man, it's so stupid because I come back and what do I expect, to not see you? You live here. Of course you do. Of course I'd see you. But I mean, next thing I'm getting punched in the face, I'm in your arms and we're making out and everything feels _right _again.

"It's just confusing around you! I didn't expect it to be so confusing. And I bet you're probably freaked out right now that I'm just like, putting this all on you. But it's _confusing_ and...no, it's more than confusing! It's unbearable. It's like, I can touch you, but I can't!" Kim's eyes were now filled with unshed tears, and she found her voice breaking. Tommy looked pained to see her like this, but kept his vow of silence. She got up and started to pace, furiously wiping at her eyes, trying to keep herself in check.

"God, this sucks! I didn't mean for this to happen. I just come here to forget all about Florida and I start out having to forget about you." She paused and looked at Tommy and all of a sudden, it was is if all the nerve left her. A tear leaked out and she hid her face from him and started to walk to the door, "So I'm gonna go. Start forgetting."

**It's like I'm lost**

**It's like I'm giving up slowly**

**It's like you're a ghost that's haunting me**

**Leave me alone**

**And I know these voices in my head**

**Are mine alone**

**And I know I'll never change my ways**

**If I don't give you up now**

In a millisecond Tommy was up and holding onto her wrist, causing her to stop and look at him. More tears had gathered in her eyes, and Tommy looked equally pained.

"You don't think it's hard for me, too, Kim?" His voice was haunted, making Kimberly hate herself even more. "You don't think it _kills_ me to see you and not be able to hold you, to touch you? You think I don't want to call you after every battle and rehash every detail to you? Or even just call you to hear your voice, to make a stupid joke that you laugh at out of pity, because let's face it: I'm not that funny. You think I don't want all that, too?"

Kimberly shrugged helplessly, looking anywhere in the room except at his eyes. She felt lost and confused suddenly, unsure of herself. She finally forced herself to look at Tommy, and she saw something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. It was more than the lust or attraction that she had always seen, this was...something different. It was like he was seeing her for the first time.

"I love you, Kim," he said as he stroked her hair, "I always have."

It was then that Kim's resolve broke. She didn't _want_ to just talk to him anymore. She didn't want to just _leave_. She wanted him.

She closed her eyes and opened them to find Tommy's focused directly on her. His eyes were dark, enchanting her. She slid her hand out from under his grip on her wrist and wound it around his neck. She parted her lips as she pulled his head down to hers, and kissed him with every ounce of her being. She wanted nothing to go unsaid between them. She didn't want him to ever have to doubt how she felt about him.

As their lips touched, she felt the fire consuming her: the need to be with him, to be able to lose control without restraints. Her tongue touched his lips lights at first, licking them, and then her teeth grazed his bottom lip brazenly. He made a strangled sound in the back of his throat, as if he had been trying to hold back and couldn't do it anymore. He picked her up by her thighs, and her legs instinctively wrapped around him. He pinned her between the wall of the living room and his own body. She was kissing him in earnest now, and he was responding just as passionately.

His lips drifted off of her lips, finding the pulse point in her neck and sucking hard. She was moaning and kissing any bit of flesh that was available to her. Wet, sloppy kisses - the kind that were uncontrolled and construed from pure passion.

**It's like I can't breathe**

**It's like I can't see anything**

**Nothing but you**

**I'm addicted to you**

**It's like I can't think**

**Without you interrupting me**

**In my thoughts**

**In my dreams**

**You've taken over me**

**It's like I'm not me**

**It's like I'm not me**

"Kim?" He gasped as she found the spot below his ear that always drove him mad.

"Bedroom," she panted, "now, please."

Tommy obliged as he picked up her small frame again and made his way back to his bedroom, trying to retain his hold on her as she continued to drive him crazy with her divine torture on his neck.

They finally made their way into his bedroom, and he laid her down gently on the bed. The kiss that they shared next was slow and passionate, and Kimberly could feel her heart beating through her chest due to it. The slow pace continued as Tommy lowered himself over her, his forearms holding him up as he never broke the kiss.

Kimberly threaded her fingers through his hair and arched slightly against him. She was burning up with the need to have him, to experience everything that they never had before. She didn't want to wait - she had been waiting for so long that she wasn't sure how much longer she could manage and still be sane.

Her hands left his hair and pulled at his shirt, making him lean off her just enough to pull it off. She ran her hands down his back and pulled him back to me. He proceeded to caress her sides and started to unbutton the white denim halter top she had on, practically ripping off the buttons. He pushed the covers of his unmade bed down with his foot, making room for them both to get comfortable.

His mouth left hers and moved along her jawline to her neck, where he left a trail of hot open-mouthed kisses as he pushed open the material to the top. His teeth scarped along Kim's collarbone and his tongue licked the spots in slow circles, as he slid a hand down her side, hooking his hand in the elastic band of her pink skirt, and cupping her hip.

He pulled her firmly against him and she couldn't help but to gasp, arching her body in response. His mouth slid from one side of her collarbone to the next side, slowly teasing her body until the pressure was unbearable and she was out of her mind, begging him for anything and everything all at the same time.

He moved away from her long enough to unbutton his own pants and slide them off, as well as capture Kim's skirt and slip that off as well.

"Are you sure, Kim?" He asked as his hands flirted with the edge of her underwear. Instead of answering, Kim just sat up and slipped off her halter top, along with her bra.

"Are you?" She countered, her eyes having a fire in them that Tommy hadn't seen in a long time. In response to _her,_ Tommy opened his night stand drawer and pulled out a condom. Kim smiled, but it faltered briefly.

"Have you...you know...before?"

Tommy leaned down and brushed a kiss onto her forehead, and rested his own there. "Never. You?"

"No," she looked away, blushing for some reason, "I never wanted it to be with anyone but you."

"Me neither." He whispered, as his fingers slid her lacy underwear off and to the ground.

**I'm hooked on you, I need a fix**

**I can't take it, just one more hit**

**I promise I can deal with it**

**I'll handle it, quit it**

**Just one more time, then that's it**

**Just a little bit more to get me through this**

**I'm hooked on you, I need a fix**

**I can't take it, just one more hit**

**I promise I can deal with it**

**I'll handle it, quit it**

**Just one more time, then that's it**

**Just a little bit more to get me through this**

He positioned himself between her legs again, now completely naked, but his lips trailed all over her skin, moving to the hollow spot in her through and further up to her ear. He sucked her earlobe in between his teeth, and nibbled on it leisurely.

"Tommy..." She moaned, digging her fingernails into his back and grinding her hips against his, feeling his hardness. He laughed softly in her ear, before leaning back on his heals, tearing the foil of the condom and sheathing himself.

"You ready?" He whispered, leaning forward.

"More than you know," She smiled at him, before blushing furiously.

"What?"

"You don't have to worry about, you know..." she trailed off.

"You don't have a...? But, I thought you said you were a virgin..." Tommy was genuinely confused.

"I tore it during a gymnastic accident," Kimberly said, referring to her hymen. "Gynecologist told me during a visit a while ago." She was now so embarrassed that she could cry.

"Hey," Tommy nuzzled her face, "don't ever be embarrassed in front of me, okay? Besides, this is nothing to be embarrassed about." Kim smiled shyly at him.

"You'll still be my first. Be gentle." She whispered.

"Always." He whispered, threading a hand through her hair and stared into her eyes for the longest time, before pulling her lips to his own and lifting his hips as well.

He slipped inside her, inch by inch, slowly and erotically. It was more than Kim could take, and she was crying out his name raggedly against his lips. Tommy stopped the instant that Kim whimpered.

"Are you okay?"

"Don't. Stop." Kimberly grit out from clenched teeth. She was in pain, yes, but it was a delicious sort of pain, the kind that she had been waiting for since she had met Tommy.

He continued to fill her, eliciting moans out of both of them that neither could control. He slipped slowly back and forth, driving her out of her mind. She pulled her lips from his and cried out, digging her fingernails into his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his hips.

She arched against him, pulling him deeper, causing Tommy to shake with restraint. She all of a sudden started to feel the stirrings of what she knew would be her first orgasm, and what she would always remember. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip, holding onto his shoulders for dear life, clutching him to her as stars exploded behind her eyes. Tommy followed soon after, his strokes becoming shorter and shorter until a cry of her name escaped his lips, and he slowed his strokes, his mouth on the crook of her neck. His teeth grazed her dampened skin and she moved ever so slightly causing both of them to jerk ever so slightly, then let a giggle escape them.

They laid there silently for the longest time, her head in the crook of his neck, his on the pillow beside her head. His body rested heavily on hers, but when he asked if he had to move, Kimberly just shook her head. She liked the weight, it wasn't crushing, but comforting in this case.

Finally, Tommy slid out of her and they both gasped at the sudden loss. Tommy got up to clean himself up and Kim lay there, completely sated, not feeling anything but pleasure.

Tommy came back a second later and slipped under the covers, curling around Kimberly, pressing her back to his front. Tommy left tiny kisses on the back of her neck, not saying anything. Kimberly just let out a satiated moan. No words were exchanged, as the two fell into a completely satisfied slumber.

**A/N2: Also, as maybe a lot of you know, Kelly Clarkson's 'Breakaway' album ends with a live version of Beautiful Disaster. I am substituting that for a different song (but one that's also off of the album 'Thankful'). Just an innocent heads up. (:**

**OH and also - the gymnastic accident thing - **_**totally**_** plausible. In fact, most of my gymnastics friends, myself included, had that happen due to balance beam incidents. So. Yeah. Just throwing that out there.**


	7. Where Is Your Heart

**A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviewsss! I'm so gad everyone is liking this story so far - and I know there are parts that have been blatantly twisted to fit along with the songs so far, and all I can do is say sorry (?) but overall, I haven't been too disappointed with my writing, which is something that has a tendency of happening. Anyway, enjoy!**

The next time Kimberly was able to form a conscious thought, she saw that no more sunlight was streaming in through the window - darkness had fallen. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for whatever was going to come. She hadn't meant to sleep with Tommy. She didn't regret it one bit, but she hadn't _meant_ to.

She flopped the covers off the bed and went to take a step off when an arm curled around her waist and pulled her back down. She gave a little shriek, slapping a hand to her chest where her heart was beating a million miles per minute.

"You just scared the daylights out of me!" She felt Tommy chuckle behind her.

Kim proceeded to get out from underneath Tommy's arm and make her way to the bathroom, feeling more light-hearted than she had in months. She didn't regret it! She just kept repeating that to herself, and it made everything feel so much more real. Kimberly could barely remember the reasons she had as to why being back together with Tommy wouldn't be a good idea. He understood her. He knew her. He _loved_ her.

When she returned to the room, anticipating maybe another go, now that they both had _some_ idea of what to expect, or at least a slightly longer nap, she was vastly disappointed.

Tommy was pulling on his pants, and Kimberly's clothes were folded on the already-made bed. _How long was I gone for_? Kim wondered helplessly. She managed to follow suit though, pulling on her own clothes as she wondered what the hell was going on.

Tommy pulled on a tank top and grabbed his wallet and morpher, putting them in his back pocket. He then bent down and rifled through his drawers, searching for an button down shirt. At this, Kim stopped midway buttoning her halter.

"Where are you going?" She asked quietly, her eyes boring into his back.

"Youth Center," Tommy shrugged. Kimberly's mouth dropped open. He was pulling this shit on her, seriously?

"Listen, Tommy," Kimberly began as he turned around. His eyes were guarded, sort of how he was when he was the Evil Green Ranger. Whatever he said next, she knew she wasn't going to like, but she plunged on. "What we just..._that_...well, that was just us. And I mean, I take full responsibility." After all, she had been the one to jump him. What if he didn't even want to? She _forced_ him, practically. And now he's itching to get away, because he doesn't want a relationship with her.

_How could I be so stupid?_ Kimberly could've screamed at herself. Tommy said he didn't fall out of love with her, not that he was going to fall back into a relationship with her. She continued this train of thought until she realized Tommy was still staring at her, waiting for her to continue.

"I don't make casual sex a habit. I won't." She said forcefully. This was it... time for Tommy to say how he feels. To say that what they had was more than casual sex, it was making love, and that he wanted them to continue to do it until they were old and gray.

Kimberly waited, until...

"I know, Kim." Tommy has squinched his eyes shut, gripping the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

**I don't believe**

**In the smile that you leave**

**When you walk away**

**And say goodbye**

**Well I don't expect**

**The world to move underneath me**

**But for God's sake,**

**Could you try?**

**I know that you're true to me**

**You're always there**

**You say you care**

**I know that you want to be mine.**

"O-o-okay." She hurriedly buttoned up the rest of her top and pulled on her shoes, not even daring to look up. If Tommy could be so nonchalant about this entire situation, so could she. And she would be damned if he saw her cry.

"I'm sorry." She managed to get out. She walked to the door, pausing to look back at him. He was still searching through his drawers.

"Don't be." He hadn't paused in his ministrations and hadn't even given Kim another glance.

She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, glancing around the room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. She had a nagging feeling she did, but she couldn't see what it was, and she really didn't want to stay in that room any longer than she had to.

Tommy had found a shirt and turned around to look at her. She brushed a stray tear away and looked back at him. He looked pained, but she couldn't see why he would. After all, he was the one doing this.

"I'll see you." And with that, she was racing out of his house, trying to put as much space as possible between the two of them.

She walked down the driveway and walked by the neighbor's house - the old lady still gazing out her window, probably trying to put together the entire drama.

_If you figure it out, lady, let me know_, Kim thought bitterly.

She sighed and made her way down the street. A part of her still felt like maybe Tommy would come after her, but she knew she shouldn't. The thing was, if he cared half as much as he claimed to, he wouldn't have wanted things to end as they had.

She felt like she had been walking for ages, but in reality it was only a few blocks. She had wanted to wear nice shoes though, so comfort wasn't a huge option. She had walked very slowly to get Tommy's - in no hurry at all. It was funny how she couldn't leave fast enough.

When she decided she couldn't take it anymore, she slid her shoes off and stretched her ankles and toes. It felt so good that she decided a tiny little rest couldn't hurt her. She rested against a building for a moment, letting the night's cool air brush upon her. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander over anything that wasn't Tommy-related. She didn't even notice when a red Ford 4x4 pulled up next to her.

"Need a lift?" She opened her eyes and had to smile at Jason's ever-grinning face. He was always in a pleasant mood it seemed, and always made Kim feel better.

"You know it!" She climbed into the passenger side dropping her shoes floor between her feet. "This feels _so_ much better than walking."

"Where exactly were you coming from, Kim?" His eyes wandered over her appearance. Kim threw down the visor and stared at her reflection. _No wonder Jason's concerned_, she mused. _I look like hell. Bed head, mussed up clothes, bags under my eyes and tear-rimmed eyes to boot._ _So much for that after-sex glow._

"Tommy's." I sniffed.

"You want to talk about it?" Kim sighed. Did she? It was probably for the best, but she didn't really want Tommy to die, so maybe talking about it with Jason wasn't the best idea.

"I'll be okay." She said, more to herself than to Jason. "I just want to get to your house right now. I want to sleep for a million years."

"Oh _really_," He said suspiciously.

"Yes. Really." Kim tried not to give anything away.

"Is there a particular reason you're so tired, Miss Kimberly?" Jason tried weaseling it out of her.

"No." She grit out.

"Are you _suuuure_ because I-"

"Okay, fine, we had sex, are you happy?!" Jason spared a small smile at how easy it was to rile Kim up, but then got serious quickly.

"Well, yes. But only because I wanted to hear you admit it. It's pretty obvious, you have that whole "glow" thing about you that girls are always harping about-"

"Jason!" Kim interjected. "Was there a point to this conversation?"

"Well," His voice slipped lower, more serious, "in my personal experiences, when a girl has sex, she generally doesn't cry afterwards. That's always a bad sign."

"In your 'personal' experience?" Kim scoffed, looking at him skeptically.

"Why yes, in a matter of fact, it was quite personal!" He exclaimed, looking mock offended.

"Jason Lee Scott! With who?!" Kim was quite animated again, and approaching furious with her friend. "And why didn't you tell me?!"

"Hey, hey, hey," he held his hands out in front of him, "what happens in Switzerland stays in Switzerland, baby."

"Oh, shut up," Kim laughed and pushed his shoulder playfully.

"But what happened, seriously?" Jason looked at Kimberly and noticed how her shoulders fell dramatically when he asked that question.

"I don't know," she said helplessly.

**Where is your heart?**

'**Cause I don't really feel you**

**Where is your heart?**

**What I really want is to believe you**

**Is it so hard**

**To give me what I need?**

**I want your heart to bleed**

**That's all I'm asking for**

**Oh, where is your heart?**

"I thought... I don't know what I thought. I shouldn't have gone over there in the first place. It was a bad idea." Kim ranted to Jason, who was listening surprisingly attentively.

"Okay, so you guys...you know...and then what? It wasn't like, that bad, was it? That both of you just hate each other now for ruining it?"

"No!" Kimberly was aghast at Jason's implications. "It wasn't that at all! If anything, it was amazing. I think. Not that I have anything to compare it to, but still..."

"Wait, you and that Duncan kid never...?"

"Ew, no! In fact, he was so pissed that I wouldn't sleep with him, he slept with a couple of girls on the gymnastics team. Like _that_ was going to do a lot to get me in bed with him, _as if_."

"Oh, well, we all thought..."

"You _did?_" Kim bit her nails nervously. "Even Tommy?"

"Well, yeah." Jason felt a bit guilty at making assumptions about one of his best friends, but it wasn't like they were 15 anymore. They were all starting to experiment, and he figured Kim would, too.

"Oh, man." Kim shook her head. "What if that was the only reason Tommy slept with me? Because he thought someone else did?"

"Is that like, girl logic or something? Because you lost me." Kimberly paid him no attention and continued her musings.

_Oh, Kimberly, you idiot! He already thought you weren't a virgin, then you made that comment about the gymnastics accident, and he probably thought you were covering up...he probably thinks you're a liar and a slut_.

"Kim? Kimmie?" Jason was shooting his friend concerned looks, as tears had started to pour down her face with no prompting.

"I am in idiot." She moaned, putting her head in her hands.

"Well, we're here." Jason said as he put his truck in park, waiting for Kimberly to show some sign of moving before he got out of the truck as well. Eventually, Kim opened the door and slid out, looking even more miserable than when Jason had originally picked her up.

"Okay, little sis, let's get you inside and into bed!" He used a fake cheery voice, but Kimberly appreciated the effort nonetheless. He helped her upstairs and waited for her to shower quickly and change into pajamas. It was still early, only around 8 o' clock, but he knew she was in for the night. Him, on the other hand, not so much.

"Alright, here we go," Jason fluffed a pillow on the bed and made a sweeping gesture for Kimberly to get under the covers. She smiled and did as he indicated, folding her hands in her lap and waiting for him to continue.

He left the room for a minute and came back with three tapes in his hand. Placing them on the TV facing the bed.

"So, I have assessed the mood and picked out tapes accordingly. We've got _Thelma and Louise_," he held the tape up in front of him, before moving on, "_Dirty Dancing_," He picked it up and put it down with a flourish, "and, of course, _Romeo Juliet_, brand new release, picked it up last week." He said with a hint of satisfaction, ogling Claire Danes on the cover for a minute before putting it down and looking up at Kim.

"I did read the mood correctly, didn't I?" He asked nervously when Kim didn't respond right away. "We are hating men, right?"

Kim just giggled and nodded, loving her friend for doing this for her.

"All men 'cept you, Jase."

"Phew. Good," he looked relieved, "it was hard to do with the movie choices, but I figure in _Romeo Juliet_ the guy _dies_, so that's pretty anti-men, and in _Thelma and Louise_ they definitely hate me, and in _Dirty Dancing_-"

"I love it, Jase." Kim cut him off. "Thank you. Really. This means a lot."

"No problem." He replied as he moved over to her and kissed her on the forehead. "Have a good night." He made for the door.

"Hey, Kim?" He had stopped and was looking back at the girl who looked ready to burst into tears again.

"Yeah?" She asked, trying to look brave.

"He just doesn't know what to do when it comes to you." No need to ask who the 'he' was, they both knew. "He always acts a little stupid when it involves his emotions and you."

"I know," Kimberly sighed. "But he needs to figure it out, one way or another."

"I know," Jason said, looking somewhat defeated. "Anyway, have fun tonight."

"You too!" She called after him, sighing and settling in for a night alone, again.

**I don't understand**

**Your love is so cold**

**It's always me that's reaching out**

**For your hand**

**And I've always dreamed**

**That love would be effortless**

**Like a petal falling to the ground**

**A dreamer following his dream.**

Jason sighed as he closed the door to Kimberly's room. He felt bad for both parties involved. He knew that when he got to the Youth Center that Tommy was going to be beating himself up over what went down, and not knowing how to fix it.

He got cleaned up and then headed over to the Youth Center, trying to figure out in his head just what he was going to say to Tommy.

-

When he got to the Youth Center, he wasn't disappointed. The gang was sitting at the usual table, while Tommy was beating the hell out of a punching bag.

"Hey guys," He said as he pulled up a chair next to Billy. A chorus of helloes were returned to him.

"Where's Kimberly?" Billy asked, curiously. Jason smirked to himself.

"Good question, Billy." He paused, then turned his attention on Tommy. "Hey, Tommy, where's Kimberly?" He called across the gym, drawing everyones attention to Tommy.

Tommy paused only to send a bone-chilling glare at Jason, and then went back to taking out his anger on the inanimate object.

"Here ya go," Ernie appeared beside Jason, putting a orange-pineapple smoothie in front of him.

"Thanks, Ernie." Jason responded with a smile, still starting at Tommy.

"Could you do something about him?" Ernie gestured to Tommy. "If he breaks another one of my bags, I don't know what I'll do."

Jason had to laugh at this. Tommy never was one for talking about his feelings, only letting the punching bag know how he felt. He remembered the bags that he had gone through when Kimberly broke up with him.

"I'll go control him," Jason said as he took a large sip from his smoothie, getting up.

"Thanks, man." Ernie said as he walked away.

"Hey," Rocky grabbed Jason's arm before he walked away from the table, "I'd be careful if I were you. He's been at it for a while now, won't take to any of us. I don't know what the dude's problem is, but," Rocky shuddered.

"Gotcha," Jason said, walking towards Tommy with determination.

"Not in the mood, Jason." Tommy said before Jason could even get a word in edgewise.

"I heard you were 'in the mood' earlier." Jason joked, and had to duck instantly as Tommy's fist came flying at his face. They heard the others gasp at the two started to spar. Jason's feet swept Tommy off of his, making him land on his back with a resounding _thud_. "Apparently not in the mood to joke, though," Jason said to himself, blocking a kick Tommy made from the ground.

Tommy flipped himself up and stared at Jason.

"You don't know anything," Tommy said darkly, starting to throw punches and kicks in earnest.

"Judging by what went down today, I would say I know a hell of a lot more than you do." jason managed to get out as he was trying to block jabs and protect his body, not deterring from his defensive stance.

"Oh yeah?" Tommy said, getting cocky as he landed a kick to Jason's shoulder, "Says who?"

"Kimberly." Jason took advantage of Tommy's momentary pause in action to land a solid punch to his abdomen, causing him to hunch over, getting knocked down by Jason instantaneously.

"See, this is where you have the problems." Jason said matter-of-factly. "Your emotions get you all messed up out on the floor, where your head needs to be in it," Jason casually blocked a swinging kick from Tommy, barely sparing him a glance and continued, "When, from what I hear, you don't let anyone _else_ know how your feeling, so you're messing up more things than just your sparring."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Tommy reiterated, going into a heated hand-to-hand session. Jason somehow managed to grab ahold of Tommy's wrists and lock them so that Tommy couldn't get out.

"Unless," Jason continued in a deadly voice, "your real emotions _were_ shown today, in which I would have to kill you, not just kick your ass."

**Where is your heart?**

'**Cause I don't really feel you**

**Where is your heart?**

**What I really want is to believe you**

**is it so hard**

**To give me what I need?**

**I want your heart to bleed**

**That's all I'm asking for**

**Oh, where is your heart?**

Tommy managed to get the upperhand and sweep Jason off _his_ feet.

"You just suggesting that shows how little you know," Tommy said bitterly, holding his hand down for Jason to grab.

Jason took it, and flung Tommy over his head, having him land hard on his back. That wasn't something that was generally done in friendly sparring matches, and Tommy understood just how serious Jason was.

"Talk to her." Jason said, still lying on his back.

"It's not that easy," Tommy conceded, not making a move to get up either.

"Sure it is. And trust me, you want to do it soon. Because weepy Kim is going to transform into pissed off Kim in no time."

"She cried?" Tommy gulped.

"Of course she fucking cried, you idiot."

"She's the one who said she didn't want a relationship with me in the beginning," Tommy sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"And you thought she meant it after you two...? Are you really that dense? Kim doesn't just give away her virginity or the hell of it." Jason said with a small smile, not being able to see how Tommy's face fell when he mentioned her virginity. "Man, you should've _seen_ how angry she got when I assumed that her and Duncan...I mean, I thought she was gonna kill me or something."

"Wait, you mean that she never...?"

"C'mon bro, she must've told you that, right? Or you must've figured it out soon enough."

"No," Tommy shook his head at Jason's snort, "I mean it wasn't like that. She had a gymnastics accident, I thought she was just lying to me to make me feel better."

Jason mustered all the strength in his body and brought his arm up over his head to hit any part of Tommy's body he could find.

"Ow, ow, hey!" Tommy tried to escape Jason's flinging hand. "What the...cut it out!"

"You'd be an even bigger idiot than I thought if you think Kim would ever lie about something like that just to _make you feel better_."

"Yeah, well, okay, you're right." Tommy pulled himself up into a sitting position.

"Which part am I right about? You being an idiot, Kim not lying, you being dense, or everything? If I'm right about something else, you can feel free to add that in, too."

Tommy shot Jason a withering glare as he put his head in his hands.

"What do I do?" He asked morosely.

"Talk. To. Her." Tommy gave him a helpless look, and Jason sighed. "Or at least talk to _them_." He said, gesturing to the table of teens that were looking at them with interest still. Jason waved to them and they all looked away, pretending to be busy with something else.

"Them?" Tommy questioned.

"Yeah, well, they've got to know more about emotional outbursts than you do. Hell, I bet a _rock_ knows more about emotional outbursts than you do." Jason got another glare. "Seriously, bro, how do you manage to save the world on a daily basis, complete the required reading for summer school _and_ pilot a giant robotic zord, yet you can't tell a girl how you feel?"

"Well, the _zord's_ not going to dump me, now is it?" He shot back facetiously.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" Jason deadpanned. Tommy shot him a look and then the two both cracked up.

"Man, when did you get to be such a dick?" Tommy asked jokingly as Jason helped him up.

"When did you start thinking with yours?" Jason asked with a grin, which Tommy could only roll his eyes at.

**It seems so much is left unsaid**

**So much is left unsaid**

**But you can say anything**

**Oh, anytime you need**

**Baby, it's just you and me**

**I know that you're true to me**

**You're always there**

**You say you care**

**I know that you want to be mine.**

-

Back at Jason's house, Kimberly had made it through the entirety of _Thelma and Louise_, but had only made it through about one-third of _Romeo Juliet_ before breaking down. She was so confused by Tommy's actions, especially since they defied his words whole-heartedly.

She grabbed the phone on the nightstand and stared at it. Normally, when she was having guy problems, she would call her mother, who would generalize the entire situation into either black or white: either it was Kimberly's fault, or the male was just suffering from typical male syndrome. Deciding that that was actually _not_ what she needed at that particular time, Kim called another number that her fingers remember.

"Hello?"

"Trini?" Kimberly asked slightly nervously. They hadn't talked for a long time.

"Kimberly!" She squealed. "Oh my gosh, have I missed you so much!" Kimberly had more or less cut off all contact she had with the others, besides Jason. And Jason's contact hadn't been really voluntarily, Jason was just persistent and determined and able to read Kim better than anyone else had ever been able to. He saw when things weren't right, and he was there to put her together again.

Kim was astonished how Trini just took her back again, not questioning her at all. In fact, she even knew things about Kim - a sure sign that she had been keeping in contact with Jason. Soon enough, Kim found herself divulging all the sordid details of her and Tommy's complicated relationship, desperately seeking advice and help.

Trini listened patiently, making the appropriate comments every now and then, until Kim finally sighed with defeat.

"So what do I _do_?" She asked.

"You mean besides kick Tommy's ass?" Trini asked conversationally.

"_What?_"

"Kim, where the hell is the former pink ranger? What did you do with her? Because the Kimberly _I_ know wouldn't take this shit from a guy."

"B-but..."

"No buts! You _know_ Tommy loves you. Hell, everyone in Angel Grove knows this. I'm serious. I hear parents talking about you, even Tommy's creepy old lady neighbor." Kim let out a bark of laughter at this. "But really, you need to knock some sense back into that boy. Stop being sad because you think he might not love you, because we both know that deep down inside, you know that's not true at all."

"I guess..."

"He's just being an ass right now. He probably doesn't know how to react, is scared of being hurt, not putting any thought into how hurt _you_ probably feel, but he's probably just as scared as you are."

"So, if he's scared, I don't think I want to scare him anymore by um, threatening to hurt him."

"Okay, so no violence, but I do think you should scare him."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"To scare him into telling you his feelings? Hell yes it's a good idea." Trini sounded absolutely positive. "You have to make sure he knows that you won't stand for him to not give his all. After all, you're going to be giving _your_ all...RIGHT?"

"Right!" Kim practically barked back. "Jesus, what did Switzerland do to you, Trini?" She laughed. "You are downright scary now."

"Hey, Switzerland had nothing to do with this," she smiled through the receiver. "But you know, had I not employed this tactic, our little friend _Jason_ never would've told me that he liked me at all."

"_Trini!_" Kim gasped. "Does this mean..._you two had sex!" _She squeaked out. "Why, you little..."

**Where is your heart?**

'**Cause I don't really feel you**

**Where is your heart?**

**What I really want is to believe you**

**Is it so hard**

**To give me what I need?**

**I want your heart to bleed**

**That's all I'm asking for**

**Where is your heart?**


	8. Walk Away

**A/N: So, how uncool of me was it to not post for like...weeks? I'm actually unsure of how long it's been, but definitely too long. So here's another chapter, dedicated to **_**Rose liz**_**, because it was after her e-mail that I decided that I neeeeeeded to post another chapter. After all, I hate it when authors leave me hanging, so how could I become one? Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer; And I totally don't own the Power Rangers or Kelly Clarkson's tunes. In case ya'll were like, confused about that. Hah.**

It took Kimberly a few days to muster up all her strength and decide she wanted to brave the world again. Jason had been wonderful day in and day out, of course - letting her rant and rave to him and then she had mentioned Trini's plan of action, however drastic it seemed. Jason had just laughed so hard that he had to hunch over to catch his breath with tears starting to form in his eyes. Kimberly took this as a good sign, and managed to keep telling herself this, and not to let her emotions involving Tommy get too out of whack.

Finally, when Kim was feeling better, when her bruises from Duncan had faded almost completely, when her mind was focused on one thing, she decided to make her move. Having days to just stew over Tommy, Trini's idea became more and more appealing - after all, who was Tommy to just decide the fate of their relationship? Didn't she get a say, especially after they had sex? And she _did_ know that Tommy loved her, he was just too damn shy to make a move. _Well, that's just not going to work anymore_, she told herself as she applied a light coat of blush over her cheekbones and studied herself in the mirror.

Tight white shorts, a much deeper, yet bright pink halter top that clung to every curve, and white flip flops with a matching white flower in her hair completed the look she was going for - the look that said that she was _not_ going to pine away forever. She was slightly distressed that Tommy hadn't made any real effort to see her in the days in which she had been incommunicado, but she had heard from Jason that he was affected by their whole ordeal, too.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Kimberly bounded into Jason's kitchen where Jason was leaning against a counter, drinking a glass of orange juice.

"Finally!" He exclaimed, putting down the glass, looking her over. "Whoa, trying to impress someone, are we?" Kimberly laughed and gave a little twirl.

"What do you think? Will it work?"

"If he's a male, yes." Jason said with a laugh. "Can we go now? I thought you said you were ready an hour ago?"

"_No_," she looked at him pointedly. "I said I was ready to get ready. There's a difference."

"You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take the California out of the girl, I guess." He said with a snicker.

"Shut up," she said good-naturedly, holding the front door open, eager to get their day started.

Kim bounded to the truck as Jason locked the door, and proceeded to honk the horn at him as he walked towards it.

"What is your _deal_ this morning?" He asked as he got in and turned the engine over. "I haven't seen you this happy in...a long time."

"I feel happy." Kim said with a beautiful smile. "Hey! Do you think maybe we could go see Zordon today?"

Jason looked at her out of the corners of his eyes, trying to read her.

"Kim, you didn't happen to take a bunch of drugs this morning, did you?" He asked innocently.

"Of course not!" She hit his shoulder as she rolled her eyes at her best friend. "It's just... I _look_ good, I _feel_ good, the weather is beautiful-"

"And you're gonna totally give it to Tommy today, aren't you?"

"And I'm going to _totally_ give it to Tommy today." She said conversationally.

"Lord save us." Jason muttered as he pulled into the Youth Center parking lot.

"But, do you think?" Kimberly asked as they got out of the trunk and grabbed their duffel bags from the back.

"Think what?" Jason asked as they made their way inside.

"_Zordon!_" She whispered.

"I thought you didn't want to see him?" Jason asked curiously, and Kim let out a sigh.

"I didn't want him to see me when I was miserable. Or when I had a huge bruise taking over the side of my face. But, he's like the only family I have now." She finished quietly.

Jason slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing the top of her forehead. "You will always have me, Kim-babe."

She looked up at him while under his arm and grinned widely.

"I know."

-

Tommy had been at the Youth Center since before it opened. He was eternally grateful for the set of keys Ernie had given him for when he held early morning karate classes or even when he just wanted to let out some steam. In exchange for the keys, Tommy would use them sometimes at night and do extra cleaning for the middle aged man, especially after he generously hosted events that all of Angel Grove attended.

He loved working out just because it let him clear his mind and focus on whatever he needed to. And these days, all he had were thoughts that needed his attention. He had been talking to the gang - Billy, Kat, Rocky, Adam and Aisha, since Jason admitted he was not going to help Tommy in the least - and he was trying to seriously consider all that they had told him. He was somewhat concerned - it seemed like all their advice contradicted each other. He knew it wasn't really their fault, as he had been deliberately vague, not wanting to tell them that him and Kimberly had had sex, even though he was fairly positive they all knew anyway.

He was mulling over what they had spent hours telling him over the past few days as he did some katas. He didn't realize how absorbed he got in the workout, or thinking, for that matter, but soon enough the Youth Center was open for business, and people and kids were filtering through the doors, their voices piercing Tommy's thoughts, not allowing him to focus.

He was using the punching bag, something that required plenty of concentration in order to drive out the distractions surrounding him. However, one thing did manage to get through to him, as it always did. And he allowed himself to get a little too distracted, as the punching bag came swinging back at him and knocked him on his ass.

Kimberly's laughter had filtered to his ears, causing him to instinctively look towards the sound. Even from his position on the floor, he could clearly see Kimberly and Jason walk in, Jason with his arm firmly around her, and Kimberly laughing at a joke he must have said, gazing adoringly up at him.

Tommy could've punched Jason.

**You've got your mother and your brother**

**Every other undercover telling you what to say**

**You think I'm stupid, but the truth is that it's cupid**

**Baby, loving you has made me this way**

**So before you point your finger**

**Get your hand off of my trigger**

**You need to know the situation's getting old**

**And the more you talk the less I can say**

As Jason and Kim walked into the Youth Center, Kim could instantly feel Tommy's presence. It always happened when he was in the same room as her, and had only grown stronger over the years, despite what the two had gone through as a couple. Jason, too, knew Tommy was in the Youth Center, but simply because he had seen his car in the parking lot. He scanned the room and couldn't help but snort at the position he found Tommy. Lying prone on the floor, Tommy was still managing to shoot him a death glare, which only made Jason laugh out loud.

"Hey, Tommy," he called, and Kim's head snapped to where he was looking, "you're supposed to hit the punching bag, not the other way around."

Tommy didn't dignify him with an answer, but he had to admit - this was not the way he wanted to first see Kimberly after what had happened. He pulled himself up and hesitantly started to walk towards the two as they sat down at the stools by the counter. His steps faltered, however, when he got his first good look at Kimberly.

The tight white shorts ended _maybe_ a few inches below her ass, and the halter top left nothing to the imagination. And the color! Kimberly used to wear a light shade of pink, very young and innocent. This new color was dark and sexy and much more mature. An goddamn Tommy's hormones, all he could think about was how good it would feel to rip the clothes off of her.

He wasn't feeling brave at all, and he really wanted to just turn the other way and run, but he knew he had to be a man and actually _talk_ to Kimberly about everything. He just...wasn't _good _at that. He was about to open his mouth and call over, ask Kim to come talk to him, but at that precise moment, because fate would have it, the entire rest of the gang came barreling in, their chatter overriding anything that could've escaped Tommy's mouth.

They were all delighted to see Kimberly, as they were slightly upset with Tommy for keeping her away, since everyone that was the only reason she didn't come to the Youth Center more often.

"Girl!" Aisha squealed as she caught sight of Kim, running up to give her a hug. Kat followed somewhat cautiously, as she wasn't exactly sure how Kim felt about her. Now that she knew that her and Tommy weren't together, she knew there_ shouldn't _be any problems, but with girls...

"Hey, Kat!" Kimberly said warmly, spotting the blonde trailing behind Aisha.

"Hey, Kim." She responded quietly, and the entire group had instinctively hushed, waiting to see how their interaction would pan out. Even Tommy waited in the wings with bated breath. He let it out with a large smile at Kimberly's next comment.

"I'm totally color infringing, aren't I?" Kimberly bit her lip and gestured to her top. Kat gave her a huge grin, realizing that no explosion was coming.

"Not at all, it was yours first, after all! Besides, I could _never_ pull off the dark pink - I think you need to be a brunette to do that."

Kim laughed and the girls settled into a fast-paced conversation as if they had always been friends. The guys somewhat did - Tommy was part of their group, but his focus was elsewhere. He didn't contribute to their debate of ninjas versus pirates, just let his attention settle on Kim. If she felt it, she didn't let on, she just continued to chat animatedly with the girls. Finally, Tommy couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't like Kim was showing animosity towards him, in fact, quite the opposite - she was showing a distinct lack of interest towards him. She had gave him a bare smile when he approached and had disregarded him from there on. And it was driving Tommy crazy.

"Excuse me, ladies," he had inserted himself into their little group and slipped behind Kimberly in her stool, since she hadn't given him a glance. "Can I talk to you? Alone?" He whispered in her ear. He struggled to control his emotions when he saw a small shiver race down her spine and goosebumps emerge along her neck. Yet she still played it cool.

"Sure," she said calmly, taking a sip of her smoothie and wiping her mouth gingerly. "Excuse me," she said to the girls who just watched on with smiles.

She followed Tommy to a corner of the Youth Center and couldn't help but feel a little scared. She knew Tommy wouldn't hit her, but...but then again, she had "known" that Duncan wouldn't hit her, too. It was a different corner, but it still felt the same. She crossed her arms in front of her chest protectively and guarded her eyes. She let her eyes close for a brief second as she took a deep breath to muster up strength, when she felt a hand grip her bare shoulder. Not hard, just firm. She reacted instinctively - her eyes shot open and she tried to get away. She stumbled backwards, but her heels met the raised mat on the floor, and she lost her balance. She braced herself for the impact of hitting the solid mat, but it never came.

Tommy had an arm looped behind her back, holding her up. She blushed at their position as he brought her back up to a standing position.

"Sorry," she muttered, mortified.

"I'm not going to hit you," Tommy said softly, hurt that she had reacted that way. Didn't she know him at all?

"I know, I just..." She let out a frustrated sigh. "It's just that I thought I knew Duncan wouldn't hit me, too."

Tommy had no response to this. He couldn't ever imagine hitting a girl, especially one as small and petite as Kimberly. Speaking of...

"You've lost a lot of weight." He commented, taking in her small frame. She had always been small and skinny, but never to the point that made Tommy worry. And Kimberly just snorted.

"I missed weight the most out of all the girls at training. I could _totally_ afford to lose a few more pounds."

Tommy gawked. But, before he could say anything, she started talking again.

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about? Because, last I checked, you were all _talked out_." She said, referencing their awkward moments after having sex.

**I'm looking for attention**

**Not another question**

**Should you stay or should you go**

**Well id you don't have the answer**

**Why you still standing here?**

**Hey, hey, hey, hey**

**Just walk away**

"Listen, Kim, I didn't mean..."

"Didn't mean what, Tommy?" Kimberly asked in a voice bordering on flirting. She knew how he felt, but he had to admit it himself. "Because in order to not mean something, you'd have to say something. And I don't recall you saying anything except, hmm, let's see... 'Youth Center' and 'I know.'"

"Don't be like this, Kim," he sighed. Why wasn't she making this easy for him?

"Be like what?" Kim's flirtatious manner was fading and anger was about to take over. "Don't be hurt because you ditched me after had sex or don't be mad that you had the nerve think that I would be fine with it." She gritted out.

"Uh..."

"What do you even want with me, Tommy?" She said in a resigned voice. Tommy's eyes scanned her body. "_Besides_ that." She said exasperatedly.

Tommy blushed as he had been caught ogling her, but he couldn't help it. It was hard to focus on anything other than her body now that he's seen her in all her glory.

"Tommy!" Her voice caused him to snap out of his reverie and focus on her eyes, which were now blazing. She was getting tired of this, and fast. They both knew exactly how the other felt about each other, yet one of them was much more stubborn.

"You're not making this easy," he said.

"I didn't know that was my job." She snapped, putting her hands on her hips. "Tommy, if you can't handle me at my worst, what makes you think you deserve me at my best?"

"What makes you think I can't handle you all the time?" He shot back.

"Is this what you call _handling_, right now?" Tommy had no response. "This is stupid, you ask me to talk, and you have nothing to say!"

"It's hard to talk around you." He said quietly just as she was about to turn away.

"We used to talk all the time, Tommy." Her voice softened up just a little bit.

"It's different now. I thought I could...I thought I could just be friends with you. But now whenever I'm around you, it's hard to think, it's hard to breathe, it's hard to do anything except wonder how I let you go." Kimberly was almost sucked in. _Almost._

"Tell Rocky to think of better lines to feed you, ones that _aren't_ from movies."

And with that, she twirled away, leaving a fuming Tommy.

_I am going to _kill_ Rocky, _he thought menacingly.

**I waited here for you like a kid waiting after school**

**So tell me, how come you never showed?**

**I gave you everything and never asked for anything**

**And look at me, I'm all alone**

**So before you start defending**

**Baby, stop all your pretending**

**I know you know I know so what's the point of being slow**

**Let's get this show on the road today**

It took Tommy a few minutes to gather his bearings, but he finally did and made his way back to the group, shooting Rocky a glare that could've killed.

"We can?!" Kimberly's voice rang out, excitement lacing it. Jason nodded, leaving Tommy confused. "This is so exciting!" Kim iterated.

"What is?" Tommy asked, genuinely confused.

"I haven't done this in so long," Kim said, completely ignoring Tommy's question. The group left a $20 on the counter for their smoothies and made their way out into the hallway, with Tommy trailing along, absolutely clueless.

"What exactly is going on?" He asked bewildered as the group stood in front of the lockers.

"I have to ride with you," Kim commented as she somewhat reluctantly wrapped her arms around Tommy's waist.

"What. Is. Going. On." Tommy ground out, getting more and more angry as he was supposed to be the leader - why wasn't anyone acting like it?

"Teleporting." Kim said slowly, as if she was talking to someone very little. "I think you've done it once or twice." Kimberly was trying to focus on anything except how good it felt to have her arms wrapped around Tommy's waist and his arm had fallen onto her shoulder, almost as if he didn't realize it, it just came natural to him.

"And you are...?" He asked, looking down at Kim and noticing his arm around her for the first time, but not caring enough to remove it.

"I'm riding with you!" She said in a perky voice. "Alpha's giving you a little extra energy so that an extra person can ride with you. Same for Aisha." She gestured over to where Aisha and Jason were laughing, as their arms were completely wrapped around each other and she was standing on his feet, and he was dancing with her. "Come on!" She tugged on his sleeve.

Tommy knew how important Zordon was to Kim, probably more than anyone else. She would talk about how sometimes when she was feeling completely down on her entire family situation that she'd teleport to the Command Center and talk to Zordon about all of it, as it wasn't like he needed sleep. She tried to separate that Zordon, the Zordon that gave her advice and comforted her when she was miserable, from the Zordon that she had given her powers and guided her in combat. But he knew that she was extra brave for him, that she worked harder than the others so he would be proud of her - even though he always was.

"Okay, okay," he laughed as Kim tugged some more, impatiently pouting. "Come here." He pulled her close, and when she was somewhat reluctant, he just whispered, "I am not going to risk losing you somewhere in the sky. Come here." She let out a sigh at this and allowed herself to get enveloped in Tommy's embrace, resting her head against his heart, hearing it's steady, comforting beat.

"Prepare for teleportation." Tommy said in his strong leader voice, and as he hit the familiar button as his arms were wrapped tightly around Kim's back.

Teleporting was never exactly fun. And surprisingly, it never got easier. Maybe familiar, but never easier. It was a mixture of your body protesting moving through space at such an accelerated speed with the weightlessness that you temporarily got from not having gravity playing a role at all.

**I'm looking for attention**

**Not another question**

**Should you stay or should you go**

**Well, if you don't have the answer**

**Why you still standing here?**

**Hey, hey, hey, hey**

**Just walk away**

Kimberly was never a huge fan of teleportation. It always seemed to make her dizzy. She had thought time would help, but as her feet met solid ground in the Command Center, she found that she still had to clutch Tommy tightly in order to stay upright. He knew this though, and let her rest her head and take deep breaths without saying anything.

It were times like these that made Kimberly wonder why they couldn't just live happily ever after. It felt so _right_ to be in his arms. But, of course, she couldn't get ahead of herself. It would help if Tommy actually admitted that he had feelings for her.

She finally regained her bearings and stepped out of Tommy's embrace, and looked around the Command Center. Some minor changes had been made, but in general, it still looked the same as she remembered.

"Kimberly." Zordon's voice boomed around her, and she instantly felt at home.

"Zordon!" She exclaimed, rushing to the front of the group, standing directly in front of the closest thing she had to a father. "I've missed you so much." Tears welled up in her eyes, despite her silent pleas for them to stay far away.

"As have I, my Crane. It's been too long."

"I know," Kimberly's voice turned small, and all of a sudden everyone else felt like they were intruding on an intimate conversation. Everyone besides Tommy never had an idea of how deep the bond between Zordon and Kimberly ran. "I'm sorry." She said weakly. "I haven't seen you in..." her voice trailed off as she became ashamed of herself for not keeping in touch.

"I have seen you." Zordon didn't sound angry, or mad, but for the first time to everyone, he sounded sad. Kimberly's head shot up as she gave him a questioning look.

"You have?"

"Yes."

Kimberly turned around slowly and walked to the viewing globe, understanding that this is what he wanted her to see. And before her eyes, images of herself flashed on the screen. None of them made her proud, and none of them demonstrated anything that it took to be a Power Ranger. It showed her crying alone in her room in Florida, showed her throwing up meals, showed her fellow gymnasts ridiculing her, and it continued, finally culminating in the display of Duncan and her at the Youth Center. She felt almost sick to her stomach as she watched it as a spectator - the way Duncan wound up for the punch, the looks on Tommy and Jason's faces, and the mere sight of his fist colliding with her face. She winced at that, unable to control her reaction.

"Ew, it looks like I have a million chins." She tried to make a joke as the viewing globe replayed the image of the punch.

"It's not a joke!" Tommy's voice barked out. Everyone had witnessed the slideshow on the viewing globe, and Tommy was now officially worried about Kim. And the Duncan thing was hard enough to deal with, he didn't think he had ever been that scared for Kim, even through all their ranger days. All of a sudden, Kim felt like a reprimanded child.

"I'm sorry." She said to everyone, a tear slipping down her face. She was angry at Tommy for making her feel this way - after all, she didn't need a father, at least not for Tommy to be one. She wanted him to be _hers_, and anything else just wouldn't do.

Before anyone else could say anything, the siren started to wail, and new images popped up on the viewing globe, showing a monster terrorizing downtown Angel Grove. Kimberly was glad for the relief of the scrutinizing stares of her former teammates.

"Looks like we got trouble, guys." Tommy instantly transformed from the boyfriend-Tommy to Power-Ranger-leader-Tommy. Kim's eyes were downcast as she dwelled on what just happened. She vaguely heard Zordon telling the other Rangers about the new threat in town, and she could feel Jason's eyes on her. She just didn't care at that point...she was thinking back on everything that she had done in the time she had been away, and she had to face the facts: she had _disappointed_ Zordon. That was what she heard in his voice - not sadness, but disappointment. It was enough to fracture her heart a little more, if that was possible.

All of a sudden, a pair of worn down sneakers came into her view of the floor. She knew in an instant that it was Tommy standing in front of her. As if the shoes weren't enough, her entire body seemed to hum when he was around.

"Kim," his voice brought her attention to his face. She glanced at the others, who had made themselves busy by looking at sheets being printed out by Billy and Alpha.

"I don't need a father, Tommy." She sighed. "At least that's not what I need from you. I don't want to be reprimanded, I want to be comforted. And I want that all from you." She was getting more and more frustrated with Tommy's stoic appearance that it was a fight to keep her voice down. "But you won't even tell me you _like _me, let alone that you love me."

"You haven't exactly told me you loved me, either, Kim." Kim's jaw dropped at Tommy's sentence.

"I. Love. You. Tommy Oliver, if you would think I would give-" she looked around and lowered her voice, "_my virginity_ to anyone that I didn't love with my complete and total soul, then maybe you don't know me at all." The idea that that may be true was enough for tears to well in her eyes.

It was Tommy's turn for his jaw to drop.

**I want a love, I want a fire**

**To feel the burn, my desires**

**I want a man by my side**

**Not a boy who runs and hides**

**Are you gonna fight for me, die for me**

**Live and breathe for me?**

**Do you care for me?**

'**Cause if you don't then just leave**

Kim just wiped her eyes and walked away from Tommy Oliver, as much as it killed her to do so. Clearly he wasn't going to respond, at least not then, or maybe ever. Kim decided that maybe she had to get used to that idea.

_Maybe Tommy just fell out of love with me. Maybe I was _that_ bad in bed, and he just can't imagine that for the rest of his life. Maybe he saw the images on the viewing globe and he's so disgusted with me, he just can't handle it. Maybe..._

Kim was dragged out of her thoughts by Jason, who put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She felt like her whole world was crashing down, or what was left of it anyway.

She listened intently on Zordon commanding the others to go check out Angel Grove Park to make sure it was free of civilians before fighting with the monster. The team nodded and prepared to teleport. Tommy wouldn't even look at Kimberly.

Once they were gone, Jason broke through Kim's thoughts.

"It kind of hurts, doesn't it?" He asked, referring to seeing others teleport and not them.

"More than you know," Kim said sadly, staring at the spot where Tommy was just standing.

"Kimberly, do not worry." Zordon's voice was kind, but Kimberly would always think she had failed him in some way.

"I'm sorry, Zordon," Kim said through her tears, as she was starting to come undone, "I'm so sorry."

"Do not apologize to me, for you have done nothing wrong." Kimberly snorted at Zordon midst her tears.

"I've done _everything_ wrong. You saw how wrong I was!" She gestured to the viewing globe.

"The only thing you've ever done wrong is when you lost your faith in yourself."

Jason watched the interplay between the two and couldn't believe that he was hearing this conversation. He had known Kim and Zordon were close, hell, they _all_ were close to Zordon, but he had never imagined going to Zordon with personal problems. But, then again, he would either go to his mother or his father, and Kim didn't have a decent pair to turn to.

For the next thirty minutes Jason watched in awe as Kim opened up to Zordon, just as much as she had with him - maybe more so, as he was unaware of the ridicule Kim took from the other gymnasts, as Kim had always played it off as camaraderie.

Kim was sitting at the edge of Zordon's encasing, pouring her heart out, and Zordon was just as responsive, offering words of wisdom and kindness, trying to make Kim see that she was a victim of circumstance, and nothing more.

"If you had a body, Zordon, I'd totally hug you." Kim said wistfully.

"Ah, I have not had a body in thousands of years." Zordon said just as wistfully. "I miss physical interaction, especially now, when I have someone who means as much to me as you do. You are the daughter I have always wanted, Kimberly."

Jason, who was trying futilely to help Alpha, and not have any clue as to what he was doing, almost dropped the pen he was supposed to be making notations with when he heard Zordon's admission. He had never heard the intergalactic being say something that emotional, even when they had all been emotional - Zordon was always level-headed and cool, calm, and detached. Or so he thought.

Before Jason could eavesdrop anymore, the six Rangers teleported back in, unmorphed, looking worse for wear.

"What happened?" He asked the panting Rangers, who looked like they had just ran a marathon.

"Good question," Rocky said, sounding slightly pissed off. He hit Tommy in the shoulder. "What the heck happened out there, man?"

"He was strong," Tommy lied, staring at Kimberly. Now it was her who wouldn't meet his eyes.

"We've faced stronger, Tommy," Kat acknowledged.

"It's true," Billy nodded, going over the report printing from the control panel, "While he was egregious, we have faced much worse."

"He backed off, didn't he?" Tommy asked, annoyed by them, and the fact that Kimberly wasn't acknowledging him.

"No thanks to us," muttered Adam, and Tommy just sighed. He knew that his head wasn't in the battle. It was stuck on those three words that Kimberly had practically flung at him, words that he hadn't expected at all. He watched her get up and go over to talk to Aisha and Kat, and put his head in his hands. What was he _doing_?

He barely had time to ponder that when the siren went off again, alerting them to more danger. He heaved a huge sigh and stood up tall.

"Here we go again," he whispered to no one in particular. "Ready?" He called out to the other Rangers. He watched Kim step back and had to sigh. She looked so great today, and he was wasting the day by not admitting his feelings and fighting monsters. _What a life_, he thought miserably.

"Let's focus this time, alright?" Rocky said to the group at large, but everyone knew who the words were meant for. Tommy just nodded. His eyes met Kim's as he held his hands in front of him.

"Back to action!"

And then the six streams of light jetted from the Command Center. Kim was about to turn around and get ready to leave when all of a sudden, a white stream of light flowed back into the Center, and materialized into Tommy before her eyes.

"What are you..." Kim started to question, but Tommy just unclipped his helmet, walked forward and kissed Kimberly so passionately she forgot that everything else existed.

Finally, he pulled away, and Kimberly blushed slightly, remembering she was in front of a robot, her mentor, and her best friend. Tommy rested his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes.

"I love you so much." He said, clear as day, and then put his helmet on and teleported out of the Command Center and to the battle.

"Jase?" She asked weakly.

"Yeah?" Jason replied, with a smirk in his voice.

"Did that...?"

"Yeah."

"Thought so." And Kimberly fainted into Jason's arms.

**I'm looking for attention**

**Not another question**

**Should you stay or should you go**

**Well, if you don't have the answer**

**Why you still standing here?**

**Hey, hey, hey, hey**

**Just walk away**

**If you don't have the answer**

**Just walk away**

**Just leave**

**Walk away, walk away**


	9. You Found Me

**A/N; Oh hey. So, I'm not really a fan of this chapter. It's pretty long (which is good, because I think the next one miiiight not be that long) but there is very little action. Tons of random fluff that I have NO idea where I came up with, and lots of drama drivel, long talks and tears, shit that had to be said, that sort of thing. I was trying to make the T/K relationship plausible. But since I have yet to be blessed with a romantic relationship of that caliber, there's a fair chance it is less than believable. Hah. Oh, and there's also a ridiculous PR Dino Thunder plug in here for absolutely no reason. I just can't bring myself to delete it. Pathetic, I know. Anyway, sorry for the update wait, but I really wrote this over the span of like, three nights. Usually I write a chapter in an hour, but this one took FOREV. Almost like this note. Kbye.**

**Disclaimer; I don't own K.Clark or the MMPR. ):**

When Kimberly came to, she blinked hard, staring at the night sky. Or, what looked to be the night sky. She realized she was on the floor of the Command Center, looking up at the ceiling that was adorned with tiny lights. She sat up quickly and then regretted it, holding her head in her hands, feeling woozy.

"You left me on the floor?" She asked incredulously to Jason, who she knew had to be around her somewhere.

"Where did you want me to put you?" He laughed out, "It's not my fault you faint at the mere thought of Tommy."

"Okay, first of all, that was more than a _thought_ of Tommy, and second of all, the floor is gross!"

"Do not worry Kimberly, the cleaners scrub the floors every night."

"What cleaners?" She asked curiously. "You let people in here?"

"Hah," Alpha did his interpretation of a laugh, "no, Kimberly, the cleaners are not people, they are bots."

Suddenly, four white things shot of a small hatch in the wall near her.

"Ah, there they are!" Alpha said and pointed to the things.

They were about four inches high and maybe a foot wide, circular objects, with features much like a robot dog would have. They circled Kimberly and nudged her playfully, emitting what almost sounded like...whimpers.

"Whoa," Kim said in awe as she picked one up. It seemed to purr in her hands. She looked on the underside of it and sure enough, there were scrubbing bristles, and a small soap dispenser.

"I like them!" She said as she put it down and it continued to nudge and rub against her.

"Ah, they like it when they are talked about, that is why they came out. They are very playful, as you can see."

Kimberly could only laugh as she patted them each once and stood up. They continued to nudge for a few more moments, then proceeded to zoom back off to their hiding place. She looked to Jason with an awestruck look. He just shrugged.

"Neat."

Kimberly shook her head.

"_Awesome_." She brushed herself off and walked over to where Jason was standing. "How long was I out for?"

"Meh, maybe five or ten minutes. Wasn't counting." Kim shot him a disbelieving look. After all, it was not mystery how much Kim meant to Jason, and she couldn't imagine him simply not caring while she was unconscious. He let out a large sigh at Kimberly's look.

"Seven minutes and forty seconds, okay?"

"Gotcha." She replied with a smile.

She looked around the Command Center, and saw the battle the Rangers were in on the viewing globe. She couldn't stand to watch it, and she looked down at her feet for lack of anything else to do. Seeing that Alpha and Jason were watching the battle avidly, she turned to Zordon.

"You don't mind if I..."

"Of course not, Kimberly. This will not be the last time I see you."

"_No way_. But, I can't teleport by myself anymore, and can't contact Alpha without a communicator, so I'll have to hitch a ride."

"We will work something out." He answered cryptically.

Kimberly smiled at him and went to Alpha, asking him if he could teleport her to Angel Grove Park.

"Do you want me to come?" Jason asked, concerned. She shook her head.

"Nah. I just can't be here. I'll be fine though - promise." Jason looked like he was about to object, but then thought better of it.

"Prepare for teleportation." Alpha's robotic voice sounded out. Kimberly closed her eyes and felt the familiar rush. When she next opened her eyes, she saw the serene lake and the trees surrounding her. She went and sat by the lake, reflecting on what happened in the short time that she had come back to Angel Grove.

**Is this a dream?**

**If it is, please don't wake me from this high**

**I've become comfortably numb**

**Until you opened up my eyes**

**To what it's like**

**When everything's right**

**I can't believe**

"How did I ever live without them?" She murmured aloud, thinking about just how at home she felt with the other Rangers. Being back in Angel Grove was like a dream to her. She knew she couldn't stay with Jason forever, but was unsure of what her next steps would be. Could she live in that huge empty house all by herself? Knowing that Duncan was still out there? She couldn't be sure. She liked to think that she was brave enough, but she knew that there was a large possibility that she wasn't.

She didn't realize that a few stray tears had made their way down her cheeks until they splashed on her hands, which were holding her knees up against her chest tight. She also didn't know how long she had sat there, staring at the lake, tears falling from her eyes, wondering how her life was so wrong yet so right.

Her body started to hum, almost as if she was pleasantly in tune with him. She heard a step behind her and knew she was right.

"You know, I can feel you when you're near." She said softly, almost sadly.

"I feel it, too." Tommy said as he took a seat next to her, looking at the lake. His eyes drifted over to her and he saw the tears. "What's wrong?"

All of a sudden, Kim felt all of her barriers break down.

"What isn't?" She sobbed out. She allowed Tommy to gather her in his arms, letting her cry into his shirt, bawling her eyes out for everything she had experienced in the last few months. Finally, her sobs subsided, and just lone tears fell from her eyes. She sat back up, trying to brush them away. She tried to inch away, but Tommy pulled her back, resting her back on his chest, in between his knees. She protested at first, then relaxed into his embrace.

They sat there for minutes, never saying a word. They were both content to just sit and think for the time being. Finally, Kim broke the silence.

"It wasn't what I expected." She managed to get out.

"Florida?" Tommy asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah," she replied pensively. "I've always wanted to be a gymnast. It's what I thought I was made for. And then, I became a Power Ranger. And for the first time, it was like, I had this opportunity to be so much _more_. But no one knew that. I couldn't tell my parents, I couldn't tell my old friends, I couldn't tell anyone.

"It wasn't until my power coin got stolen when I started to realize I wasn't going to be a Power Ranger forever. Coach Schmidt was offering me an opportunity to _be_ someone, and I knew in my heart that my time as a Power Ranger was coming to an end. And who would I be after that? No one. I'd be no one."

"Once a Ranger, always a Ranger." Tommy whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"Easy for you to say when you're still a Ranger." She felt Tommy tense up behind her and she rushed to continue. "And you can't deny it, either - when you lost your green Ranger powers, you didn't even think you'd still be our _friend_, let alone part of the team."

"You're right. I can't deny it at all. What you're saying - I've felt every ounce of it. Before the Rangers, I was the karate guy. And, sure enough, I never felt more important, more alive, than when I joined the Rangers. And, like you, I backed off on the karate. I still practice, but I don't go to competitions anymore. I'm not sure if I could jump back into it if I were to not be a Ranger tomorrow. It's like-"

"Nothing can compare." Kimberly's voice overlapped Tommy's. "I tried in Florida. I really did. But my heart wasn't into it. The other girls were so much more dedicated to it, and all I could think about was, 'yeah, this rush is good, but it's nothing like being in battle.'"

"You could've come home, Kimberly." She sat up straight and turned her head to look at him.

"_Could I_? Tommy, you told me to go!"

"No, I told you to follow your dreams! If your dreams led you back to Angel Grove, then so be it! That's where my dreams always led you!" His voice rose with his anger and he instantly regretted it as Kimberly's lip started to quiver.

"You also said to make you proud!" She shot back, trying to fight the tears. "How proud would you have been if I gave up? If I quit? Is that something a _Ranger_ does?"

They had only moved a few inches away from each other, yet it felt like a continent separated them.

"If you think for one second that I was never," he swallowed thickly, "_am_ never," he amended, "proud of everything you do, or have done, maybe _you_ don't know me at all."

Kimberly bit her lip at this. He was throwing her own words right back at her, and, frustratingly enough, they made sense.

"You shouldn't be," Kim said. "You saw the slideshow, too, didn't you? _Everyone_ did. I'm not exactly a pride-making machine." She quipped sadly.

She didn't really want to talk about what they witnessed on the viewing globe. But, she knew Tommy did, and she knew that she had to come completely clean with him if they were going to be...whatever they were going to be. It all of a sudden seemed like they had so much to talk about, and that just frustrated Kimberly to no end. She had known it wasn't going to be easy, but did she really want to divulge all of her demons to Tommy? _Yes, you do_, she found herself thinking. With that, she stood up and offered Tommy a hand.

"Come on." She said in a small voice, somewhat unsure of him actually taking it and following her. After all, he hadn't said anything after the slideshow comment.

"Where?" Tommy asked as he took her hand, yet didn't use it at all to pull himself up. He continued to hold it as they started to make their way back through the park.

"I just want to show you something."

Tommy drove the two of them back to her house, as large and empty as it was. The ride was made in silence, neither of them knowing exactly how to start such an epic conversation.

Kimberly unlocked the doors and led Tommy in, instinctively going upstairs to her bedroom. She sat down on the bed and Tommy followed suit, although making sure to keep about a foot of space in between them. She took the familiar photo in her hand - the one of her and her parents, the one that she had coveted for so long.

"What kind of mother lies to her own daughter?" She whispered, slowly taking the photo out of the frame and into her hands.

"I...don't know." Tommy replied, a bit unsure.

"She wrote the letter." Whatever Tommy was expecting her to say next, that was not it.

"What?"

"Well, okay, she dictated it and I wrote it, but still." Kim explained. "It makes sense now, I guess. I had wanted so badly to keep in touch with you, to maybe remain friends, if only to have you in my life at all. But she told me not to. All because of a stupid forged picture." Tears were starting to well up in her eyes, but she continued. "You must hate me, huh?"

"What?" Tommy repeated, genuinely shocked. "I could _never_ hate you. Yeah, I was hurt, but that was because I thought it was coming out of left field. Kim, I saw the picture and it could've fooled anyone."

"But I'm not anyone, Tommy! I was supposed to know you."

"And you do know me. Better than anyone in this entire world. I have no doubt in my mind that if she wasn't there, you and I would've made the relationship work. I don't understand why you didn't tell me everything that was going on down there before we broke up, though. Why didn't you tell me about what you were going through?"

Kim gulped. She didn't meet his eyes, only continued to stare at the photograph in her hands. She knew they were going to have this conversation, yet she didn't feel prepared at all.

"I don't know," she shrugged, trying to avoid his gaze.

"Kim."

"It was so hard, Tommy." She said suddenly, turning to look at him. "They were so mean to me! And I didn't do _anything_ to them. I swear!" She looked like she was trying to convince him. Tommy leaned over and took her in his arms.

"I know you didn't. You would never."

"They hated me," she sobbed into his chest, "for no reason! It wasn't the family that it was supposed to be. They made me feel bad about my gymnastics, my friends, my body..."

Tommy pulled her back a little bit, only so he could look into her eyes.

"Is that why you...?" He didn't know what to say. How did he broach the subject of her actually throwing up her own meals? She only gave a noncommittal shrug in response. "Kim, you are always perfect to me. To everyone. I don't know why you felt like you had to do that."

"I lost a lot of weight when I broke up with you. I just didn't want to eat. My performance at the gym was slipping, I could barely concentrate. The only good thing to come out of it was that when I stopped eating, I finally made weight. So I just did what I had to to keep it off."

Tommy was taken aback by Kim's flippant attitude towards it. It angered him, much like her comment in the Command Center had. He didn't want to be her father, but he couldn't stand to see her hurting herself.

"Kim..."

"It's no big deal, Tommy. It's not like I really do it anymore, so-"

"What do you mean it's 'not like you _really_ do it'?" Kim shrunk back at Tommy's anger. "Kimberly, this is a big deal! It's not something you just blow off!"

"I don't need you-"

"To be your father, yeah I know, Kim." Tommy tried to level his voice. "I'll leave that to Zordon. But I want to be your friend. I want to be able to help you when you need it. And it's clear that you need it, Beautiful." Tears were steadily streaming down Kim's face.

"You wouldn't call me beautiful if I were overweight."

"I wouldn't call you beautiful if you were a pile of bones, either." Tommy rubbed a hand over his face. He didn't know what else to say to get through to her. The two sat in silence.

"I know." Kimberly said finally, her voice barely audible. "Jase has been looking out for me. I'm getting better, really. It's just hard sometimes."

"I'll help." Tommy said instantly. Kimberly nodded.

"I think I could use it."

**You found me**

**When no one else was looking**

**How did you know**

**Just where I would be?**

**Yeah, you broke through**

**All of my confusion**

**The ups and the downs**

**And you still didn't leave**

**I guess that you saw**

**What nobody could see**

**You found me**

**You found me**

The two sat in silence, although this time is was companionable.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with this place." Kimberly said as she rested her head on Tommy's shoulder, his arm wrapped firmly around hers.

"The house?"

"Yeah. I know I always said I wanted it, and I do, it's just...it's so big. Too big for me, I think."

"You always wanted to live here, though. You wanted to raise a family here." Kimberly snorted at this.

"Family? I don't think so. I've experienced what being a family is all about, and I'm not sure it's for me." This time it was Tommy's turn to snort.

"You've always talked about having kids, and how you wanted to raise them in Angel Grove, and how you wanted them to be able to hang out at the Youth Center when they got older... you always wanted that."

"I don't want to be like my mother." Kim confessed. She had never said that aloud, but it's truth spoke volumes. Of everything Kim was afraid of, that took precedence.

"You won't be." Tommy assured her softly. "You aren't like her, Kim. You have the heart of gold. You're not spiteful and it's not in your nature to be jealous. And most of all, after being through what your mother put you through, can you really see yourself doing that to your own kids?"

"No!" Kimberly answered. "I don't think I could ever treat another human like my mother treated me, let alone my own children."

"There's your answer," Tommy whispered in her ear, "you are nothing like your mother. You will never be. So our kids will grow up happy and loved." Kimberly smiled until what he said actually sunk in. At this she jerked her head up and turned to him.

"Did you just say-"

"Yes."

"Tommy, you can't forgive and forget that easy, and all of a sudden want to start dreaming up our future again..."

"What's there to forgive and forget, exactly?" He questioned. "You didn't do anything wrong. If anything," He blew out a loud sigh, "I should be the only apologizing."

"For what?"

"For the way I treated you after we made love." Hearing him say those words - just calling it _making love_ instead of sex - was enough to melt Kim's heart. "It was rude and callous of me. It was my way of protecting myself from getting hurt, and I didn't take into consideration at all at how you would feel by my actions."

"Tommy..." Kim started, but was silenced by a finger against her lips.

"I just want to finish, okay?" Kim nodded.

"I was just worried about what you would say. After all, you had spent the better part of the hour beforehand informing me of all the reasons we couldn't be together, blaming me for your impure thoughts," he flashed a grin to her at this, "and you declared that you were going to start forgetting me. I was so nervous that you and I...it was just one last hurrah for you. I know you wouldn't do that, but I wasn't really thinking right and-"

"It sort of was that way." Kim cut him off.

"Huh?"

"Well, I knew it wasn't going to work. But, even though I came over with pretensions of telling you that we were just going to be friends, and how a platonic relationship was the way to go, I think a part of me knew, in the back of my mind, that I was going over there with a..uh..specific purpose in mind." Tommy raised his eyebrows at this. "I just thought that maybe if you and I...you know... then I would, I don't know, get you out of my system. Or something. Like after all that dreaming and fantasizing, maybe real life wouldn't live up and I could leave without wanting more."

Tommy's face fell at the _living up_ comment. Didn't Kim think-

"It was amazing." She spoke his thoughts out loud. "Just like I always knew it would be. I knew that even if it _was_ terrible, there wasn't really anything that could make me leave afterwards. Until, well..."

"Until I fucked it up beyond repair, huh?" Tommy asked, his eyes downcast. _Way to go, Oliver,_ he thought to himself, _You finally get the girl back and you do everything you can to make her stay until BAM! you have to open that mouth of yours._

Kimberly bit her lip.

"I hope it's not beyond repair."

**So, here we are**

**That's pretty far**

**When you think of where we've been**

**No going back**

**I'm fading out**

**All that has faded me within**

**You're by my side**

**Now everything's fine**

**I can't believe...**

"Do you mean...?"

Not verbally responding, Kim rose from her spot on the bed and went to her windbreaker, lying on the bench that sat in front of the windows. She unzipped an inner pocket, pulling out a piece of paper, folded in fourths. She unfolded it and handed it to Tommy.

"Do you remember when you drew me that?" She asked, pulling a laugh out of Tommy.

"Yeah, you were nosy back then." He said with a smile. Kimberly huffed.

"I can still be nosy given the right opportunity!" This only caused Tommy's smile to widen. _Leave it to Kim to get angry over being called _not_ nosy_.

"You keep this in your windbreaker?" He asked softly. She shrugged, looking embarrassed.

"I like to look at it. Reminded me that true love existed."

"Even after you thought I cheated on you?" Tommy was thoroughly confused.

"I thought you had fallen out of love with _me_, not the other way around, Tommy."

"Give me a notebook."

"What?"

"Just give me a notebook." He insisted.

Kimberly scrounged around in her desk drawers for a second, and then gave it to Tommy with a pencil. Kimberly didn't bother to try and look as he scratched the pencil into the blank page, as she knew he wouldn't let her anyway. The finished product caused her eyes to water.

The page was divided in half, with the ever familiar stick figures adorning both sides. On one side was ten stick figures all standing in a line, each with a name above their heads: Kimberly, Tommy, Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy, Kat, Aisha, Rocky, Adam. Above that was a single word: FAMILY.

On the other side were five stick figures. Two were labeled Kimberly and Tommy, and they were...kissing, or what appeared to be kissing. It was hard to tell with stick figures. The other three were little kids, labeled Conner, Ethan, and Kira. It resembled the picture Kimberly had just shown Tommy, only there were key differences. The kids were no longer labeled 1, 2, and 3, and the background was different - no longer the scene of Kimberly's backyard, this time it was clear to Kimberly that they were at Angel Grove Lake - complete with a picnic blanket and basket on the ground. Above that picture, as well, was the word FAMILY.

Kimberly looked up at Tommy who was looking slightly proud of himself, and slightly self conscious, wondering if Kimberly was as ready for the future as he was.

"How did you know?" Kimberly asked, gesturing to the three little kids.

"Jase told me he heard you and Trini talking about it over the phone one time when they were in Switzerland. Sent me an e-mail the next day, saying that he thought I should know what my future kids names were." Kim laughed at that. She remembered the conversation she had with Trini vividly. The fact that Tommy did, too, was...

"Unbelievable." She murmured aloud as her eyes continued to roam the page.

"I'm sorry?" Tommy asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"No, no, it's not bad, it's just...you really are amazing." Kim said without her eyes leaving the drawing.

"Amazing in a...good way, right?"

"Amazing in every way possible." Kim said, her eyes finally meeting his. "And none of them could ever be bad." Tommy exhaled the breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"Kim, I know you're going to want to say something about being sensible and not rushing back into things and how we should take this slow," he didn't notice how Kim's eyes widened at the thought, "but you should know that I love you. And I always will. Nothing can change that. And while I'll take you in any way that I can get you, I _don't_ want to take it slow. I don't want to be sensible. I want to feel that stupid, crazy, head over heels feeling every time I think of you. I want it to be like it was. I don't want to be worried about seeing things on the viewing globe that will scare me. I don't want to be worried about what you're doing across the country. I want you here with me, all the time."Tommy couldn't believe he had just blurted all that out to Kimberly. Yes, he had thought about saying it, and wanted to say it, but perhaps not in that exact way, and maybe a little later...say, when they were actually in a confirmed relationship.

In response to this, Kimberly leaned over and awkwardly linked her arms around his neck, although her position made it hard to do so properly. Tommy quickly rectified that by pulling her to him, onto his lap, with her straddling him. She hugged him properly now, burrowing her head into his neck, inhaling his comforting scent.

"I don't know how I ever lived without you, Tommy Oliver." She said into his neck, her voice somewhat muffled.

"Hopefully you never have to experience that again." He said hugging her tightly to him. She eventually pulled back, resting her forehead against his. A tear dripped onto Tommy's lap and he wondered why she was crying. He was under the impression they made progress.

"Kim?"

"I'm scared I'm not the person you fell in love with anymore. What if Florida changed me?" She asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Hey," He said, nudging her face until her eyes met his, "I will always help you find yourself, if you get lost. You've always done it for me."

"I know," she whispered, the tears still falling, "I know."

And with that, she leaned in and kissed him. Even though both lips were tinged with saline from tears, it was a kiss that neither will ever forget.

**You found me**

**When no one else was looking**

**How did you know**

**Just where I would be**

**Yeah, you broke through**

**All of my confusion**

**The ups and the downs**

**And you still didn't leave**

**I guess that you saw**

**What nobody could see**

**You found me**

**You found me**

Kimberly felt that she did in fact find a missing part of herself in that kiss. It wasn't overly passionate, it wasn't a let's-get-naked kiss, but it was comforting. It was love.

The two kicked off their shoes and laid in bed, the lights were off and it had started to rain. They gathered a blanket over themselves and Tommy pulled Kimberly back to him, her back against his front. They remained like that, just talking, sneaking an occasional kiss, but just generally getting to know each other all over again. Tommy rehashed some of the more memorable battles he had gone through while she was away, and Kim told him some of the more heartbreaking stories she had of Florida.

Kim's phone rang, interrupting one of her stories, and she grabbed it from the nightstand, knowing who it was without looking at the Caller I.D.

"Hey Jase." She said, not moving from her position curled into Tommy.

"Hey there, Kim-babe." He replied nonchalantly, not knowing what kind of mood Kim would be after a talk with Tommy. He had instructed the white Ranger where to go after he returned from the battle, but he hadn't heard from either of them since. And Zordon was being all pesky with his "morals" and refused to put an image of them on the viewing globe. Jason understood why he wouldn't, but still...it would have been nice.

"What's up?"

"Eh, nothing, just wondering where you are. You coming back soon? 'Cause the storm is really starting to kick in."

"Um, I'm at my house, actually."

"Really?" Jason questioned. "You staying there?"

"Yeah, I think so..." she snuck a look at Tommy who nodded, being able to hear the entire conversation. "Yeah. I am." She confirmed.

"Hm." Jason mulled that over in his head. "Do you need me to come or...?" He let the question hang.

"No, I'm okay. Really."

"Alright," Jason said reluctantly, somewhat disappointed that he couldn't get more information out of her. "I'll see you tomorrow, then, right?"

"Of course, Jason." She smiled into the phone. "Goodnight."

They hung up and Kimberly turned to Tommy.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even ask you if you could, I just thought-"

"It's okay, Kim." Tommy smiled at her. "My parents are gone, remember? It's no big deal." Kim shot him a grateful smile.

"Thanks. I mean, you don't have to, it's just... I'm not too comfortable with this big house and it's so stormy outside and..."

Tommy's arms instinctively tightened. He knew that even while she hadn't mentioned him, Duncan was on her mind, and he was just as worried as Kim was. He just had this terrible feeling that his display at the Youth Center wasn't going to be the last he saw of that creep.

"I will always protect you, Kim." He said firmly. "From all the bad. Even Duncan." Kim could see the pain in his eyes whenever anyone mentioned Duncan, but hadn't wanted to delve into it. But with Tommy opening the door...

"I just want you to know, Duncan and I never had sex with each other." She said quietly. "I heard from Jason that that's what you thought, and it's not true. It never happened."

"I know," Tommy managed to get out.

"You do?" She asked, confused.

"Yeah, I do. I know you would never lie to me, Kim. I always have known that. I'm just a little forgetful sometimes." He quipped.

"You'd forget what day of the week it was if it wasn't written on your boxers." She laughed.

"Hey, I no longer wear those, for your information. I've moved onto more mature things."

"Oh, really?" She pushed the blanket off them and stared at the boxers peeking out from his jeans and couldn't help the laughter that escaped her. After all of the time he spent complaining about the merchandise, she couldn't believe he was now wearing what he was.

"Power Rangers, Tommy? _Power Rangers?_" He smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. You can find Power Ranger merchandise just about anywhere now."

"But Tommy, the Power Rangers are on your _ass_."

"Among other parts. I was trying to get a pair where Saba is right on my-"

"_Tommy!_" Kimberly hit him playfully. They both broke out in gales of laughter as Tommy tried to playfully slap her back.

"Haven't you ever heard of the phrase 'don't hit girls?'" Kimberly said in between giggles, and in an instant, the playful mood was gone. Tommy withdrew and looked at her seriously.

"I would _never_ hit you, Kim. I hope you know that." His eyes pled with hers for her to believe him.

"I know, Tommy," She replied as she pulled the blanket back on top of them, and positioned herself half on top of Tommy, placing a kiss on the area of his neck she could reach.

"I don't think I've ever felt like that before." He said softly, kissing her head.

"Like what?" She questioned as her fingers traced over his heart without her even noticing it.

"Helpless, I guess." He confessed. "It's like, I saw it happening. Duncan hitting you, I mean. It's like I knew what was going to happen. But I couldn't do anything to stop it."

"You couldn't have known what was going to happen, Tommy. Besides, it was my fault. You didn't even want me to go, but I took the risk anyway, and went with him. I could have said no."

"He hasn't done this before, has he?" Tommy asked, suddenly nervous. Kimberly knew the risk?

"No, no," She soothed, her fingers sliding up his chest to play with his long hair which both Tommy and Kimberly _loved_. "But I head the rumors back at school. Everyone said he had a bad temper, and that violence wasn't out of the question. One of the wrestlers on his team even told me that he thought Duncan was mentally unstable. But, when you're on a champion wrestling team, having a short fuse and being violent isn't exactly looked down upon."

"It wasn't your fault, Kim. No man should _ever_ hit a woman, and it's not excusable."

"I know that, but you have to know it wasn't your fault, either."

"I've never been that scared before." Tommy admitted. "I think it was different when you were a Power Ranger. I got scared sometimes, but...seeing you get hurt like that, and knowing you had no powers to help you heal, or protect you? It was like an out of body experience. Like, my body moved, but my mind didn't go anywhere. I just couldn't believe that creep hit you. I watched myself run over, but didn't think about it."

"Well you thought about it when you were wailing on Duncan."

"Well, yeah, but - hey, wait. It wasn't _that _bad."

"Ernie said he was nervous he was going to have to call the cops on _both_ of you." She commented dryly. Tommy had to let out a bark of laughter at that.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to you first, I was just so mad and..."

"Hey, it's not like I remember that. I am perfectly content to lie here and pretend you came and fawned over me first, instead of Jason." She joked.

"I don't think I'll ever forget that day. You hit your head so hard, Kim. Everyone was scared."

"Hey, no harm no foul." Kim said lightly, then reconsidered. "Okay, well, in this case, that phrase isn't particularly useful since there definitely _was_ a foul, but you know what I mean. Everything still works up here." She said as she tapped her head with a finger.

"Thank God," Tommy murmured as he pressed a chaste kiss on her hair.

**And I was hiding**

'**Til you came along**

**And showed me where I belong**

**You found me**

**You found me**

**When no one else was looking**

**How did you know?**

**How did you know?**

"It's funny, isn't it?" Kimberly's voice rang out in the dark of the room. Night had officially fallen, and they had both changed into more comfortable clothes - luckily, Kimberly hadn't taken most of the clothes she had stolen from Tommy to Florida, and he found an undershirt and a pair of basketball shorts to change into. Kimberly, who wasn't feeling particularly sexy that night, changed into some boxers and an old karate shirt of Tommy's. They climbed back into bed and were content with just holding each other for the night.

"What is, Beautiful?"

"It's just that...I came back here, and thought everything would be different. I didn't come back here to step back into my old life, I came to get away from the life down there. But here I am, and here you are, and, it's just weird to me how everything feels like it used to again."

"Are you happy you came back?" Tommy voiced the question that had been plaguing his mind all night.

"At first...no. I knew I had to get away from Florida, but the thought of seeing you, and Katherine, it was so scary to me. And I came back and it was so hard...even after knowing that the picture wasn't real, it was still so hard."

"And now?" Tommy bit his lip in anticipation.

"Now, I'm wondering why I ever left. I missed you so much. I don't want to go through that much pain ever again."

"You won't have to. I'm not going anywhere and I'll be damned if you leave again."

"Nowhere else to go." Kim whispered sadly. "I don't even know what to do with this place."

"Why not? I know you think you're not exactly family material, but..."

"I don't know...I don't _want_ to sell it, but what am I going to do with a huge house?" Kim sighed. "Besides, for as many good memories are here, there's just as many bad. Maybe I need to make a fresh new start."

"Maybe," Tommy replied. "In Angel Grove, right?" Kimberly let out a laugh.

"Yeah, Tommy. In Angel Grove."

----

The next day, the gang was assembled at the Youth Center, and Kimberly knew she made the right decision in coming back. It was like her life was slowly being assembled, in the complete right order.

"You keep staring at me, Oliver, I'm gonna fall." Kimberly called out as she practiced a routine on the balance beam. Tommy blushed from the table he was sitting at, embarrassed that he was caught red handed. He let out a small laugh and walked closer to the balance beam.

"Since when has an audience ever made you fall?" Kat raised her hand.

"I can think of one time," she called out with a laugh. She was eternally glad that the Rangers and herself were able to look back lightly on her brief stint as an evil doer.

"Precisely," Kimberly said, sending a grin at Kat as she stood upside down on the beam. "Or maybe Kat's just more distracting than you are," she teased.

Tommy sent a mock glare at Katherine, who just shrugged.

"It was the fur, what can I say?" Kat joked, causing the entire group to laugh out loud.

"Fur? Is that what I need?" Tommy flirted shamelessly with Kimberly.

"Ugh, too much information," Adam called out from the area where he was lifting weights with Rocky.

"Hmm," Kimberly pretended to think about it, ignoring Adam. She uprighted herself and did a flip off the beam, sticking her landing in front of Tommy. "It couldn't hurt." Tommy placed a hand over his heart.

"Ooh, that hurts, Kim."

"Okay, so no fur," she laughed as she put her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his hair. "This will do."

Tommy pulled her closer so that they were only a breath apart.

"I'm glad I meet your approval, Beautiful." He said as he closed the distance between them, kissing her sweetly. Kimberly parted her lips for him, and the passion increased tenfold.

"Ten bucks says they start going at right in front of us," Rocky mused. Kimberly overheard and shot him the finger from behind Tommy's back. Jason walked in right at this time from the locker rooms, and couldn't help but to laugh.

"C'mon, Kim's classier than that!" He laughed as he walked towards the group, he lowered his voice only a little bit, and leaned closer to Rocky. "Fifty bucks says she gives him or-"

"_Jason_!" Kimberly broke the kiss and stared at her friend incredulously.

"Thanks a lot, Kim, you're lucky no one took my bet or I'd be out fifty bucks right now." He tried to sound firm, but the grin overtaking his face was an indication of just how serious he was. Kim just smiled sweetly at him.

"Oh yeah, fifty bucks says you've never even _gotten_ oral sex." Kimberly said defiantly, making the girls in the group snort and the guys just grin like males do. Jason chuckles loudly.

"Kimmie, I'd feel bad for taking my little sister's money."

"Really? 'Cause I wouldn't feel bad taking money from you at all." She leaned down and started to rummage through her duffle, pulling out her cell phone. "C'mon, let's call Trini _right_ now and see how she feels on the subject." Kimberly flipped open her phone and pressed buttons, making Jason think she was dialing. He hopped over the banister separating them and quickly grabbed her phone out of her hand.

"Okay, okay, what's personal is private, I get it, I get it, there's really no reason to call Trini about _anything_," he rambled on, finally looking at the phone in his hand. Kimberly had opened a text message, and had typed 'GOTCHA.' He flipped the phone shut and sent a glare at Kimberly.

"Funny."

"I think so," she said as she took the phone out of his hands. Jason sulked back to the table, trying to salvage his reputation with the guys, and Kimberly turned to Tommy.

"Beautiful, that was mean." He said with a grin on his face.

"Hah, like what he said wasn't? Like the first time I did that was going to be in the _Youth Center_, as if." WIth that comment, Tommy pulled her tight against him, so she could feel just how much she was affecting him.

"The first time?" Tommy growled at her sensually.

"Yeah, maybe the third or fourth though..." she licked her lips at him, loving how she made him feel.

"You're playing with fire, Kim," he whispered in her ear as he lightly bit an earlobe. She responded by squirming against him, knowing exactly how he would respond. She leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Maybe," she whispered, "but getting burned is half the fun." With that, she brushed her lips across his and flounced back to the table, shooting him a wink and grin as she sat down. Tommy just gawked at her, surprised at her blatantness, and started to make his way to the locker room.

"I thought we were sparring, man?" Jason called after him, confused.

"I have to take a shower," Tommy called back, not breaking his stride.

"You haven't worked out yet!"

"A _cold_ shower," Tommy yelled as he disappeared through the doors, not caring about the laughter trailing after him.

Jason continued laughing as he left the group to start stretching, high fiving Adam and Rocky as they went to go sit down with the others.

"Girl, you got him wrapped around your finger," Aisha commented, a smirk on her face.

"Huh?" Kim shook her head as she broke her stare from where Tommy had been previously standing.

"Tommy! That boy has it bad for you."

"I hope so," Kimberly said wistfully, biting her lip.

"I _know_ so," Katherine interjected. "He'd do anything for you." Kimberly snorted at this. She knew he loved her, but they both had a lot of ground to cover, a lot of time to make up for before they could be the infallible couple they were before.

"I'm serious!" Kat insisted. "Even when he thought you had broken up with him, he never let any of us say a bad thing about you. He still wanted to protect you."

"I hope I can protect him," Kim said sadly. At their confused looks, she continued, "I'm worried about Duncan, guys."

"Do you think he is still around, Kimberly?" Billy asked from across the table. "Even after how you responded?" Kim shrugged at this.

"I don't know why he was here in the first place," she confessed. "I mean, he didn't even _like_ me. Let alone love me enough to come all the way out here and bring me back? It doesn't make any sense!" Kim became frustrated at the situation. She had tried for hours to think up reasons or explanations as to why Duncan followed her, and none of them made any sense.

"Do you need us to do anything?" Rocky asked, sincerely. It was times like these that everyone was impressed with Rocky - he was able to joke and laugh with everyone, but he knew when a situation called for seriousness.

"Nah," Kim shook her head, desperate to shake the feeling that Duncan was still lurking around. "I'll be fine. I'm sure he's back in Florida by now," she lied.

"You sure?" Adam asked, trying to read her face for some clue as to what she was really feeling.

"Yeah," Kim nodded. "Just, uh, let's not tell Tommy that I was worrying about him. I don't want him to think that one little punch is going frighten me." Her eyes widened as she noticed all the wary glances being sent her way. "I'm serious! He's a creep, yes, but nothing special. I've faced worse monsters."

"If you say so, Kim..." Aisha was unsure about Duncan, but if Kim said she didn't think Duncan was around, then she'd take her word.

"I do say so." Kim assured them. "It's nothing to worry about, I promise." Before the group could respond, they noticed Kim's expression brighten and her eyes danced.

"Kick his ass!" Kim called to Tommy as he walked out of the locker room, ready to spar with Jason. Tommy turned and smiled at her, sending a wink.

They all let the conversation drop as they settled in to watch their friend's spar. Even Kim seemed to clear her head of all thoughts of Duncan as she cheered on her boyfriend with the others. No one noticed for a second the guy shuffling through a locker outside the room, sparing as many glances as he could at the group. Kimberly didn't even feel the gaze of Duncan McKessie on her back as she relaxed with her friends, feeling more at home than she ever had in Florida.

**You found me**

**When no one else was looking**

**How did you know**

**Just where I would be?**

**You broke through**

**All of my confusion**

**The ups and the downs**

**And you still didn't leave**

**I guess that you saw**

**What nobody could see**

**The good and the bad**

**And the things in between**

**You found me.**

**(Dun dun dun. Kind of, at least. I mean, now ya'll know it's not over with, right?! Yeah, cause you didn't see **_**that **_**coming. Mmkay. Also, the next chapter will be the only one that's NOT really done in Kim or Tommy-centric POV. Two guesses as to whose it is. Well, if you know the next song, you get one guess, because I know you guys aren't idiots. Anyway, that's pretty much why the next chapter isn't going to be really long, but the chapter after that should be. Hopefully be out by Wednesday!) **

_**Also - I noticed some mistakes in some of my previous chapters, but the effing editing tool isn't available for the Safari browsers (which comes on Macs, which are all I have, of course) but ummm the next time I get the use of a Dell or something, I will fix those up. In case you noticed the errors but were too nice to tell me or something. (:**_


	10. I Hate Myself For Losing You

**A/N: Okay, so here's the next part! I tried to get it out as fast as I could, but my problem is that I usually write at night. Like, at 2 a.m. It's recently come to my attention that maybe I should be **_**sleeping**_** so I'm trying to give that a try. But I promise I won't forget this story. I'm going back home for the weekend (I just moved to NC from MA) so I'm guessing it might be a week before the next chapter ): I'm sorry! I want it go be good, and I know I won't write at all this weekend. Be patient! I'm unsure about how I feel about this chapter. Lemme know! You guys are awesome reviewers. But yeah, this chapter is sadly lacking action, but enjoy!**

**Disclaimer; Don't own K.Clark or MMPR!**

He paced back and forth in the dingy motel room he had rented. He knew he should've got a nicer room, but he hadn't thought he would be staying more than a night, tops. He hadn't thought this Kimberly fiasco would take up this much time. Truth be told, he was fully prepared to drop her when she left Florida. It wasn't like he couldn't find other girls, Kimberly hadn't been anything special. Or so he had thought.

When Caroline Dumas came to him and offered him five thousand dollars, just to get Kimberly to go back to Florida, he had laughed in her face. After all, what was five thousand dollars to him? He could get money other ways, ways that didn't involve flying across the country. But she had persuaded him in ways only an older woman could - flattery, mostly. But the way she had trailed her fingers on the inside of his thigh...it left Duncan wondering what _else_ he would get if he were to return Kimberly to Florida.

But then he got to Angel Grove, and seeing Kimberly so comfortable, so in her element, it just infuriated him to no end. He had no clue why - after all, he wasn't emotionally attached to her, in fact, quite the opposite. He hadn't developed any feelings for her through the course of the relationship, like he had assumed he would. But she was new and innocent, and that was half the fun to Duncan.

And then she slapped him. Duncan had _never_ been slapped by a woman before. He had plenty of instances where he should've been slapped, but no girl was ever stupid enough to try that. As Duncan reminisced on when he punched her, he was more and more angry at her.

"Who does she think she is?" He muttered agitatedly as he continued to pace, growing distraught. "She was _mine_. Mine. And she slapped me, and thought there would be no consequences? She _deserved_ that punch. She deserves a hell of a lot more. If those barbarians hadn't been there that day, she'd have felt a lot more of what she deserved."

If that wasn't enough, when he had called Caroline Dumas later on that day, after nursing his wounds, she was furious that he wasn't successful on the first try. Duncan had been ready to quit at that point, but she had offered him a solid ten grand to get Kimberly back to Florida and away from Angel Grove. He had instantly said yes, the ideas of what he could do with that money racing through his mind.

Duncan suddenly paused his pacing and shook his head. "_Let it go, Duncan, let it go. You can leave California behind._" He told himself, trying futilely to calm himself. _"She's just a girl. She's just a girl. You don't want another Leslie situation._"

He tried so hard to purge the Leslie incident from his mind. It was the reason he transferred to Southern Florida University, the reason he was forced to leave Louisiana State. It was a mistake, an error in judgment, a silly joke gone too far...and it was happening again.

He remembered feeling the same way about Leslie. He remembered being detached for the time when they were together, but afterwards, when he lost her, he felt...anger. The same anger that was coursing through his veins right now, at the thought of Kimberly.

"I won't mess up this time," he said confidently to himself. "I'll do it right. No getting caught. I'll finish it."

Duncan knew he had messed up when it came to Leslie...he hadn't been arrested, since he wasn't that stupid - he knew how to clean up after himself, but unfortunately, was caught going through her dorm room, destroying it. He had not suffered at all at the hands of the college judicial committee. There were no formal charges pressed, but he was going to be forced to pay restitution. Refusing to do so, he was expelled from the university. He had always berated himself for getting caught at all. He knew that if he had Kimberly, he wouldn't get caught. He would do it right.

**I woke up today**

**Woke up wide awake**

**In an empty bed**

**Staring at an empty room**

**I have myself to blame**

**For the state I'm today**

**And now dying **

**Doesn't seem so cruel**

**And oh, I don't know what to say**

**And I don't know any way**

**Anymore**

The rational part of Duncan was furious with himself. How could he let her get under his skin? How was this possible? Then he came to a startling realization: he had been in California for around two weeks. He hadn't planned that long, so he hadn't taken much. He hadn't taken enough clothes, he hadn't taken enough cash, he hadn't taken his cell phone charger, and he hadn't taken his medicine.

_Medicine_, Duncan scoffed. _I don't _need_ medicine. I don't need anything to control myself!_ _Those pills were useless! They didn't do anything!_ He quickly brushed the thoughts of the anti-psychotics he was taking away, along with the lone rational voice within him.

_I don't need any medicine. I don't need anyone. I only need Kimberly. I need her to understand how angry I am. I need her to understand that she is the one responsible, she is the one to blame. And then I need to punish her. She needs to know that that is inexcusable, embarrassing me like she did. She humiliated me in front of everybody, slapping me like she did. For absolutely no reason, too! She has some nerve. She has some will. Luckily, it's a will that can be broken. And I'm going to be the one to break that will, that spirit, that nerve. She won't know what's coming._

----

He watched Kimberly. He studied her. He wanted to knowwhat made her tick. He wanted to know _exactly_ what she feared, what she held dear. He wanted to know all the things he should've wanted to know while they were in a relationship. He hadn't cared at all back then, but now...she was his project.

He was a fast learner. He knew how _precious_ she thought her relationship with Tommy was. He almost got sick at the sight of the two of them - always all over each other, holding hands, touching each other, comforting each other. It was nauseating. And painful. _Soon_, Duncan mused, _I will be the one touching her. I doubt she'll find it comforting_, he laughed silently.

But still, it took a lot out of Duncan to merely watch her, when all he wanted to do was teach her a lesson, right there, in front of everyone. But he knew that he wasn't strong enough to fight them all off, it was physically impossible. A wicked grin spread across his face at the thought of them finding Kimberly after he was done with her. At the thought of how they'd feel, knowing that they weren't there when it happened. That they weren't there to protect her.

But there alone was the problem: they were always around her. Duncan knew that in order to get Kimberly, he was going to have to be clever and quick. He saw how she craved the companionship she got from these "friends," how she clung to them when she could. He got no greater pleasure though from seeing her afraid. He knew she was afraid of him, and it was those times, when he saw Kimberly look around, surveying her surroundings, when he saw her glance behind her while walking, knowing instinctively she was being followed, it was _these_ times that he felt most powerful. Invincible, even. It was intoxicating, the idea that he was strong enough to strike fear in the heart of the little girl that was trying _so_ hard to be brave for her friends.

He listened to her brush him off while she was with them, trying to ensure them that there was no possible way that he was still hanging around. He listened to her try to rationalize his behavior as a one time thing. He also listened to that very fine tremor in her voice anytime she spoke his name. He knew that she was aware of him. He knew that she didn't believe for a second that he had retreated to Florida. After all, he was always the one for a challenge. And she was the biggest one of all.

**I hate myself for losing you**

**I'm seeing it all so clear**

**I hate myself for losing you**

**What do you do when you look in the mirror**

**And staring at you is why she's not here?**

As the days deteriorated, so did Duncan's psyche. He was slowly breaking down, growing wild with passion and lust and the need to have Kimberly. She had denied him so many times during their relationship that he was overcome with the need to experience her, to _taste_ her, if not for the experience alone, and if not for the conquest, for the sole reason that he knew _that_ was something her pathetic boyfriend wouldn't be able to cope with. The knowledge that Duncan had had her the last and final time.

Although his mental state was failing, he did experience rare moments of lucidity. It was during then that he would get so angry at his self for even entertaining ideas of hurting Kimberly, and would resolve to hurting himself. He would throw himself into doors, bang his head furiously against the paper thin walls of the motel, causing more than one hole. He would clench his upper arms tight enough to bruise while rocking back and forth, knowing that his slight moment of complete sanity wasn't going to last. He grappled with himself for control over his body. It was an endless struggle, with no winner in sight.

He had taken to prowling Angel Grove at night, his body past the state of exhaustion that it no longer demanded for him to sleep. He would look for a place that was suitable for Kimberly. His motel room was out - not only was it small and suffocating, but he had registered there under his own name. He was sure the moment anyone noticed Kimberly to be missing that he would be the number one suspect, and he had vowed not to get caught. So the motel room was out.

He wasn't having much luck being able to find an acceptable place, and so grew his anger towards Angel Grove in general. Kim had always harped on about how wonderful it was, how it was the _best_ place to grow up, and how it was the home of the _Power Rangers_. Well, Duncan had seen the Power Rangers, and found them lacking. No man will ever look good in spandex, in Duncan's mind. And he had yet to find a place! He was getting more and more frustrated. Angel Grove was too small for his liking - in Miami alone there was a hundred abandoned warehouses, even more abandoned houses or apartments. Here, it was like no one left anything alone and empty for long.

When Duncan found the perfect place, he knew. He felt it in his bones, in his fingers, in his feet. It was like it was calling to him. The entire place had an evil feel to it, as if nothing good had touched it in a long time. He went into it and took in his surroundings. It was _perfect_. It looked as though no one had been there for years, with a thick layer of dust covering everything. It was spacious, in fact, there was so much room that Duncan might've thought this as a detractor if he could get over the feeling in his body. It left plenty of room to get lost, if she were to get free, _which would never happen, Duncan_, he reminded himself. That much was clear to him - he was never going to let Kimberly get away. This was forever. This was for keeps.

**You got what you deserved**

**Hope you're happy now**

'**Cause every time I think of him with you**

**It's killing me inside, and**

**Now I dread each day**

**Knowing that I can't be saved**

**From the loneliness**

**Of living without you**

**And oh, I don't know what to do,**

**Not sure that I'll pull through**

**I wish you knew, I wish you knew**

Duncan felt a feeling of serenity overtake him once he found a place for him and Kimberly. He only had to focus on Kimberly now, which was comforting. He hated the way certain things would detract from him focusing on her, and now he had nothing distracting him. He was confident that they would be..._happy_ with their arrangements afterwards. Well, at least he would.

He continued to study Kimberly, formulating a list in his mind. It included things that he knew were painful for her, things that he had to be _sure_ to bring up before he finished his plan. And besides Kimberly herself, his plan was what Duncan spent the most time dwelling over, editing and revising and adding to it, all within his head.

_No_, Duncan thought to himself, as he went over his list mentally, for the hundredth time that day, _she won't appreciate if I do that for her. She'll be incorrigible if I try that. She'll cry too much if I do that. She'll put up a fight if I try that, make sure I do that while she's incapacitated. _

Slowly but surely, Duncan whittled down his list of heinous acts he planned to do to Kimberly. Unfortunately for him, he had yet to devise a solid plan to get her on her own.

----

It had been weeks since the gang had seen or heard from Duncan. Everyone seemed to finally be able to relax about the entire situation, except Kimberly.

"What's going on, girl?" Aisha asked as she playfully hit Kimberly's hip with her own as the entire gang walked out of the movie theatre, the boys walking ahead of Kimberly, Aisha and Kat. "You've been quiet for a while now, but you barely cracked a smile in that movie, and it was hilarious! What's up?"

"It's nothing," Kimberly said unconvincingly as she scanned the streets, unknowingly trying to seek out Duncan.

"Yeah, 'cause I believe that," Aisha laughed, waving a hand in front of Kim's face. "Earth to Kim! What's bugging you?"

"Nothing, I just... promise you won't tell Tommy. Promise!" She urged at Kat and Aisha's hesitant faces.

"Okay, I promise!" Aisha finally said.

"Me too, promise." Kat piped up.

"Okay, well, it's just, I keep getting voicemails."

"From Duncan?!" Aisha practically yelled out, causing Kim to slap a hand over her friend's mouth.

"_No_!" Kim stressed. "Not from Duncan. But, they're from girls on the team. My gymnastics team, that is."

"What do they say?" Kat asked curiously.

"They, well...they're all pretty mean. But they're yelling at me for kidnapping Duncan!"

"You kidnapped Duncan?"

"Yeah, Aisha, I kidnapped Duncan and have been holding him prisoner and the thought of telling you just _slipped my mind_. NO, I did not kidnap Duncan!"

"Then what's the problem? You didn't do it. No big."

"Aisha..." Kat said, catching on.

"It means Duncan's not in Florida," Kim said softly. "It means he's still in Angel Grove." Aisha instantly clapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think...but...oh my gosh, you've got to tell Tommy!"

"No! You guys promised! I don't want to worry him. It's just a little unnerving. I just needed to tell someone, that's all." She looked ahead as Tommy was laughing at something Rocky was doing, playfully shoving Jason as the former Red Ranger commented. He was half turned as he shoved him, and his eye caught Kimberly's. His smile widened and he sent her a wink, making her heart melt.

"Well, Kim, I know you don't want to worry him, but he'd want to know." Kat reasoned.

"I know. It's just...I've only _just_ come back, really. And I'm sure both of me and Tommy thought his days of rescuing me were long over. I just don't want to pull the damsel in distress card, especially since we don't know anything."

"Since we don't _know_ anything?" Aisha asked, all attitude. "Girl, you just said yourself he was still in Angel Grove. You need to tell Tommy, and tell him now."

"Aisha, you _promised_ you wouldn't! What kind of friend would you be if you-"

"Oh, don't you even _try_ to pull that shit on me, Kimberly Ann Hart. You know damn well that I am a great friend, and since I am one, that's why I'm doing this." Aisha said firmly. "Tommy, get your ass over here and comfort your girlfriend!" She called ahead to the others as Kim shot her a disbelieving look.

"_Comfort?" _She whispered. "Comfort! You couldn't think of a better word?!"

By this time, Tommy had turned from the guys and jogged to where Kim was walking. Aisha and Kat took their leave, with Aisha walking backwards, shrugging towards Kimberly.

"Sorry," she mouthed, and Kimberly just glared.

"Hey, Beautiful," Tommy said with a concerned look on his face. He draped an arm over her shoulders and fell into step with her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she insisted, snuggling into his warmth. "The girls are just being drama queens."

"If you don't tell him, I will," Aisha's called back. "And I got this." She waved Kimberly's phone in the air.

"_Did you just pick pocket me?!"_ Kimberly asked incredulously. Aisha just slipped it back in her pocket, and caught up with Kat.

"What is she talking about, Kim?" Tommy's voice brought Kim back to the moment. Kim heaved a large sigh and then studied the sidewalk as she started to speak.

"I found out that Duncan's not in Florida. He never came back after his supposed one night trip to Angel Grove." Kim tried hard to keep her voice steady as she continued. "I guess his cell phone has been off, he doesn't call anyone back in Florida, not even his father. They think I kidnapped him." She tried to laugh out, but only managed to sound more scared.

"Oh, Kim," Tommy tightened his arm around her and put a finger under her chin to lift her face towards his. "I wish you had told me sooner. Is this what's been keeping you so spooked?"

Kim could only nod in response.

"Well, no wonder. Kim, I know I can't tell you how to feel, or how to react to things, but I can tell you that he will _never_ get his hands on you again. What happened at the Youth Center was a gross misjudgment...on both parts."

"I know," Kim said, feeling herself grow more confident with his reassurances. She wondered why she had been nervous to tell Tommy about her fears in the first place. "He just gives me the creeps is all. But I know that nothing bad will happen."

"Damn straight," Tommy said, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "But if you want to talk about it, you know you can come to me, right? I don't want to ever make you feel like I won't listen to you or-"

"I know, Tommy." She said with a smile. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Beautiful."

They had reached the Youth Center and paused at the door while everyone else went in. Tommy gently cupped Kim's face and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss. They finally broke apart and just smiled at each other before turning and going inside.

Duncan smiled to himself as he watched the scene unfold from a nearby alley. He wasn't sure how to repay Tommy for getting Kim to drop her guard, even if it was just a little bit. He was sure it work out in his favor in the end.

**I hate myself for losing you**

**I'm seeing it all so clear**

**I hate myself for losing you**

**What do you do when you look in the mirror**

**And staring at you is why she's not here?**

**I hate myself for losing you**

**And oh, I don't know what to do**

**Not sure that I'll pull through**

**I wish you knew**

**And oh, I don't know what to say**

**And I don't know any way**

**Anymore, no, no.**

It was one week and three days later. Ten excruciatingly long days in which Duncan was forced to just sit and bide his time. He still watched Kimberly, but noticed how she was no longer taking stock of her surroundings everywhere she went. And when she did, she was instantly reassured by her asinine boyfriend. Duncan knew it wouldn't be long at that point, and he wasn't disappointed.

----

"C'mon, Kim!" Aisha pled to her friend. "We haven't done it since you've been home. It's been way too long since we've had an all-girls sleepover."

"I'm just saying, I'm really tired and I don't think I'd be much fun! Don't you think we should wait until I can make it into the best sleepover ever?" Kim knew it was a futile effort, and that she was probably going to end up sleeping at Aisha's, but in reality, she was exhausted. It had been a long day of gymnastics for her, as she refused to give up the sport entirely, just the competitive aspect of it.

"As long as you're here, it'll be great," Kat affirmed.

"I don't know..."

"Please, Kim! Girl, you know it's not often my parents are away. And the sleepovers when they're here are somewhat...lackluster."

Kim sighed, but managed to smile at her friends.

"Alright, _fine_." The girls cheered at this. "But I'm going to run home and get some clothes."

"Okay, fine!" Aisha said, glad that her friend relented. She was going to argue with her about going home, but knew how Kim could be about clothes, so she thought better of it. "But if you fall asleep on us at your house, I am going to be _pissed._"

"And if you start in on that bottle of peach Schnapps I know you have, _I'll_ be pissed." Kim tossed out as she headed out the door.

She was lucky that Aisha only lived about three blocks from her own house, because her legs were sore enough as it was, she wasn't sure if she could handle a long walk on top of that. If she was feeling tired before, the cool night air woke her up almost instantly. She pulled her windbreaker tight against her, muttering to herself.

"You would never think it was California by the way it gets so cold at night, Jesus Christ..."

She stopped walking as she thought she heard footsteps behind her. She turned and looked and saw nothing behind her except barren sidewalks.

_You remember what Tommy said,_ she chided herself silently, _I'm going to feel like Duncan is with me for a while, until I get closure, or until I grow confident enough that he's not going to hurt me._ Kim was unsure of how long it was going to take, but she took Tommy's advice to heart.

Kim finally reached her house and started to dig in her oversized purse for her keys. Everyone always told her she needed to get a smaller purse, but it was funny how they were always grateful for when she had random things they needed in, from lint brushes to magazines.

Kim heard a slight noise behind her but didn't bother to look up, convincing herself it was the wind. In an instant all she saw was black.

Duncan pulled away with a smile of satisfaction that only the insane possess. He threw the chloroform soaked rag into the bushes near her front step, and adjusted the limp Kimberly in his arms. It was time.

----

The first thought that crossed Kimberly's mind was, _wow, it sure got a lot colder than I was complaining about._ She shivered and noticed that her back was pressed against something hard and cold. She went to move away from it and felt her arms unable to move more than a few inches. She opened her eyes and saw her wrists in handcuffs, attached to interweaving pipes. Her gaze then fell to her own body, and she was shocked to find herself clad in nothing but her bra. Terrified to look around anymore, but knowing she had to, Kimberly let her eyes drift away.

She was still wearing pants, which came as a small relief to her. She forced her eyes upwards and was forced to assume that she was being held captive in some sort of factory, or warehouse. Her next sight made her blood run cold.

Dried purple ooze coated the railings in front of her, and splatters of it lay on the floor. Kim instantly knew where she was being held. If it wasn't enough that she was being _held captive_, the fact that she knew she was in the factory on the _outskirts_ of town, that no one had dared to use after the Ivan Ooze fiasco, was enough to make her cringe in fear.

"Oh, shit," she moaned and hung her head.

**I hate my self for losing you**

**I'm seeing it all so clear**

**I hate myself for losing you**

**What do you do when you look in the mirror**

**And starting at you is why she's not there?**

**What do you say when everything said**

**Is the reason why she left you in the end?**

**How do you cry when every tear you shed**

**Won't ever bring her back again?**

**I hate myself for loving you.**

**A/N2: I wonder if I surprised any of you with what warehouse it was exactly. I surprised myself since I have no idea where the eff that came from. I hope I wrote Duncan's POV in a way that was both realistic and yet totally crazy. Oh, and I know this one is like, super short in comparison to the last one, but I'm pretty sure the next one will be longer. But I have no idea since I have yet to write it, so don't hold me to that. OH, and I almost forgot :: HAPPY EARLY VALENTINE'S DAY!**

**A/N3: GOSH, I write down all these things to include in my notes, and I always forget so they all come out in like, one chapter. AKA this one. But yeah, if you're wondering about the timeline in this story...so am I. I've been deliberately vague because that was one point of the story I never cared to actually figure out, which is silly because, you know, it's a pretty large part of a story. Let's just say it's pre-Zeo. And, because I want to, I say Zeo is never happening. Ever. Hah.**


	11. Hear Me

**A/N: Hey…remember me? I used to update this story, about a year ago. So um…here's another chapter? Ugh, I know, I fail. But there's only one more chapter left after this and I really didn't want the idea of me taking a year to finish a story, so here you go! I can only imagine how my writing might have changed, and this might not even flow with the rest of the story. But… here it is (:**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it. Or the K. Clark songs. Sorry.**

"This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening…" Kim had been chanting the same phrase out loud for just close to 10 minutes now and it wasn't helping to ease her mind at all. Just when she had almost convinced herself that it was all a terrible dream, and that eventually she would just _wake up_, she heard the worst noise that had ever reached her ears.

"Oh, I can assure you, Kimberly, this _is_ happening." Duncan walked out from behind a large metal water heater and if his voice wasn't terrifying enough, his appearance caused Kimberly to gasp out loud.

He looked…crazy. Legitimately, completely, and utterly insane, if Kim had to describe him. His clothes were dirty, torn in places, with his hair looking unkempt and greasy. The worst part was the smile – the smile that looked more like a grimace, and not a very pleasant one at that. His eyes were almost glazed over, yet were still mad and restless. She had faced plenty of monsters before, but none that could ever compare to the Duncan McKessie that was standing in front of her.

"Wh…what are you doing, Duncan?" Kim was having a hard time discerning whether the chills she was experiencing now were from the temperature or the man standing before her.

"What am I…what am I doing?!" He asked incredulously. "What does it _look_ like I'm doing Kimberly? I had always assumed you were at least a _little_ smart – after all, dumb, and that face? The world isn't that cruel, baby girl."

Kim tried not to cringe at the insults he flung at her, but couldn't hide it completely.

"I still get to you, huh Kimmy?" Duncan walked closer to her, kneeling before her when she wouldn't look up to meet his eyes. "You can pretend I don't, but we both know that my words still mean just as much to you today as they did all those months ago when I was telling you that dumping your miscreant of a boyfriend was the best idea you ever had."

Kim looked up pointedly, not allowing him to see the effect his words at her, and not wanting to stare into his crazy eyes any longer. A second afterwards she felt his strong hand grip her jaw tighter than she had ever felt, pulling her face towards him.

"**You will look at me**!" He screamed in her face, causing a scared tear to drop down her face. She was now terrified of the man before her. This wasn't the Duncan that she knew, not that that one was all that great. But the man that stood in front of her, holding her jaw in a vice grip, seething at her…this was a different person. She didn't know this person. "**Your friends won't miss you, Kimberly. They don't even know you're gone. And they certainly don't know how worthless you are.**" Duncan's screams echoed through the abandoned factory, and tears began to stream down Kimberly's face in earnest.

She took a deep breath as she watched Duncan wind up and then his fist collided with her face, having her seeing stars. She almost laughed out loud – it was almost absurd to her. She had faced countless evil henchmen, and yet a _human_ was going to be her demise. As she tasted blood on her lip and watched as Duncan backed up, sweating, looking just as feral as he did before, one slightly comforting fact found her: her friends _would_ be looking. They were expecting Kimberly to go back to Aisha's and when she didn't, they would…_assume you went to bed like a lame ass, Kimberly_! She almost screamed aloud she was so frustrated. _You know that's what they're almost expecting of you_, she told herself. _Let's just hope they're not in the mood for that bullshit and they come looking for you. You just have to hold them off that long…_ She didn't want to acknowledge the fact that tomorrow morning they would _definitely_ notice that she wasn't at home, but there was a very real possibility that tomorrow morning might be too late.

**You gotta be out there**

**You gotta be somewhere**

**Wherever you are**

**I'm waiting.**

'**Cause there are these nights**

**When I sing myself to sleep**

**And I'm hoping my dreams**

**Bring you close to me**

**Are you listening?**

It was almost 2 a.m. when Aisha heard the telltale scraping. Her and Kat instantly turned the light off and flopped onto the couches, trying hard to even their breathing.

"We know you're not asleep," Jason scoffed as he flipped the light switch by the door, illuminating the room. "You guys are lousy actresses."

"Hey," Aisha sat up, shaking out her braids. "You guys are lousy cat burglars, if that helps."

"It doesn't," Rocky commented between bites of chips as he made himself comfortable next to the coffee table in her living room.

"Where's Tommy?" Kat threw popcorn in the air and caught it in her mouth all while still keeping an eye out for the missing male Ranger.

"Oh, he said he'd be here in a bit, he just wanted to grab something from Kimberly's house. I think he has a key, so, whatever."

"Good luck with _that_," Aisha snorted. "Kimberly crashed when she went to go get some clothes for the night. If she's there, and he's there, I doubt we'll be seeing either one of them soon." They all had a laugh at that, before the telltale scraping occurred again and they watched in fascination as Tommy gracefully slid through the window and landed on his feet.

"You know, I unlocked the door after _I_ got through the window, Casanova," Jason scolded playfully, to which Tommy just rolled his eyes. They all stared at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation to his singular status.

"What, couldn't rouse sleeping beauty?" Aisha joked once no one else made a move to say anything.

"Who?" Tommy asked, confused. "And where's Kim?"

"What do you mean? She's at home, in bed. She left at like 11 to go get clothes for the night and crashed while she was there," Aisha explained.

"Noooo," Tommy drawled out. "I was just there, in her house. And she was not."

"What do you mean 'she wasn't there'?" Jason asked, sitting up straight.

"As in, I was in her house and she was not, that's what I fucking mean."

They all exchanged wide-eyed looks.

"Put your shoes on," Tommy commanded the girls as he raced to the door.

-

When the rest of the group caught up to Tommy at Kim's house, he was outside, holding something in his hand.

"What is it?" Jason asked earnestly. He was becoming worried, which was not assuaged by the look on Tommy's face.

Tommy held the white rag up for them all to see.

"Chloroform."

**Hear me**

**I'm crying out, I'm ready now**

**Turn my world upside down**

**Find me.**

**I'm lost inside the crowd,**

**It's getting loud.**

**I need you to see,**

**I'm screaming for you to please**

**Hear me**

**Hear me.**

She wasn't sure of time anymore. If she was being honest with herself, she was almost convinced that time moved differently in this abandoned factory, her own personal hell. It was thoughts like that that kept jarring her back into reality. She wasn't in a Dark Dimension. She wasn't even on another planet. She was on Earth, being held captive by a _human_. A deranged human, nonetheless. Duncan was crumbling before her, and she never knew if something she said would infuriate him or make him feel guilty, and lessen the beatings for a few minutes.

He was vicious, of that she was sure of. He had no restraint as he unleashed his full strength on her – kicking, punching, clawing at her. It was by far the most horrifying experience she had ever endured. In her other dealings with horrendous villains (because, truthfully, that was what Duncan was to her at this point), they had never wanted to _torture_ her. Restrain and subdue her? Yes. Take her power from her, draining her? Yes. But this sort of brutal torture had never been inflicted on her. There had never been an instance where Zedd or Rita had truly wanted to see someone scream and writhe in pain. And yet, that's where she was now.

She was currently enjoying a slight reprieve from the attacks, panting heavily, watching her blood drip onto the ground around her, oozing from various wounds. Duncan was about fifteen feet in front of her, leaning on a railing that overlooked the main floor of the factory. He was hunched in a ball, rocking himself, letting out tortured screams that could have rivaled Kimberly every now and then.

How he got there was pure chance. Kimberly had been _so close_ to just begging him to stop, to end it all, to not continue drawing it out, when she noticed a slight spark in Duncan's eyes. It was the one thing that had made her think that perhaps there _was_ some sort of conscience in there, and she opened her mouth and spoke the only words she could manage: "Why are you doing this to me?"

He had instantly flung himself away from her, pressing himself against the railing, his wild eyes finally settling on her and _seeing_ her, truly seeing her.

"**I don't know!**" He had screamed out painfully, before curling into a ball.

Kimberly was using this time to reassure herself that her friends would come. They would – they _had_ to. They would go to Zordon and he would help them. He would find her. He had to. Someone had to find her.

_It can't end like this_, she thought hopelessly. _I was just starting to be happy again! I was just getting my life back. I can't lose it all now, not when I haven't had proper time to enjoy it. I just can't_.

She was drawn out of her thoughts by a conspicuous silence. She blinked the sweat, tears and blood out of her eyes and looked up to see Duncan, leering at her, practically baring his teeth as he stood up, looking no worse for wear.

_It can't end like this_.

**I used to be scared of**

**Letting someone in**

**But it gets so lonely**

**Being on my own**

**No one to talk to**

**And no one to hold me**

**I'm not always strong.**

**Oh, I need you here**

**Are you listening?**

"_What do you mean, you can't see her_?" Tommy roared, his voice echoing throughout the Command Center.

"Tommy, I need you to calm down. You must not lose your patience with me," Zordon's dominating voice reverberated, just as loud as his. Tommy looked down quickly, abashed. "We are all worried, but your insolence is bordering on disrespectful."

Tommy muttered an apology before resuming his pacing of the Center. They had been there for a little more than half an hour and have made no progress. Zordon couldn't find her, the viewing globe was being no help, and Angel Grove wasn't getting any smaller.

The others were pouring over topographic maps of Angel Grove, focusing on where there seemed to be influxes of energy. Kimberly's Ranger energy signature was fainter than it would be if she were still a current Ranger, but it should have still shown up on Alpha's readings. And yet, they were still in the Command Center, and there was still no sign of Kimberly being anywhere in Angel Grove.

"This is so frustrating," Jason growled as he ran a hand through his hair. "Zordon, are you sure that Kimberly isn't on another planet? Or even another state? How do you know she is still here?"

"I believe with my whole being that she is still in Angel Grove, Jason."

"_How_?" Tommy looked up in another burst of raw panic. "How can you say that she is here but we don't know _where_? You say she's here but we can't find her. _How do you know?!_"

Zordon's voice was graver than they had ever heard it before – soft, with a bit of a desperate undertone.

"I believe I am feeling something akin to a parent's intuition, Thomas." Tommy's brow furrowed and he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt pore over him as Zordon continued quietly. "Do not assume that you are the only one that cares for Kimberly here, White Ranger."

Tommy forced himself to walk to the edge of the room and sit down harshly. He felt thoroughly chastised by Zordon, and ashamed that he had resolved to call him 'White Ranger' over his given name. The feelings of helplessness and despair threatened to creep over him, but he forced himself to breathe deeply and focus his energy. The Rangers still needed their leader, and he knew that Zordon was doing his best to find Kimberly, the daughter he has never had.

He shook his head as he moved to stand. He needed to figure this out, and fast. Having Kim somewhere that he wasn't…it was unbearable. Not knowing where that somewhere _is_ was even worse.

"What about that, right there?" Billy's voice brought him out of his reverie and he rushed over to the group hunched over the maps. "There's a huge cluster of energy right there….more than there is anywhere else. Why aren't the sirens going off or something?"

"That is on the other side of town, Billy. It has been showing that much evil energy since last year," Alpha explained.

"But what was last year?" Rocky looked about as confused as Tommy felt.

"The other side of town?" Billy mused, before snapping his fingers, the light bulb going off. "Ivan Ooze's factory, right? That's where he created the machines, that's where his evil would be centered."

"Correct, Billy," Zordon affirmed.

"So maybe Kim's there? Maybe that energy is just like…hiding her?" Rocky wasn't known for his brains, but he did make a good point.

"We're dealing with a human, guys," Aisha pointed out. "Do we really think he knows to hide her in an evil energy abandoned factory? Unless he knows we're Rangers, and in that case I think we have an even bigger problem on our hands."

"No," Tommy said slowly, thinking it through out loud. "But you just said it yourself…evil abandoned factory. _Abandoned_. It'd be a perfect place to hide out in, human or alien alike. He probably had no idea that the evil 'vibes' he got from the place was in fact evil energy. He just wouldn't know."

"I'm convinced," Adam said, clapping his hands together. "Let's go."

"Me, too," Kat agreed.

"I'm in, too, guys." Jason spoke up from behind the group, looking pissed off and determined.

"We're gonna be morph-"

"No, you're not," Jason cut Tommy off. "This is a _human_. Yes, we are going to go and rescue Kimberly, but we will not be doing it as superheroes." Tommy looked like he was about to protest, but Jason softly reminded him: "That would be escalating a battle unprovoked, Tommy. You and I both know that."

With a resigned sigh, Tommy turned to Alpha and Zordon.

"Care to turn up the juice for a tag along?"

Jason bowed deeply as he turned to Aisha.

"May I have this dance?"

Tommy, not in the mood for jokes, simply stood in front of them, hand on his communicator.

"Let's do this."

And in a streak of light, the Rangers were gone. All except Tommy, who was still standing in the Command Center, unmoving.

"What the-"

"You need to exercise great self control, Tommy," Zordon cautioned. "This will be one of the most difficult missions yet, and you need to remain calm, despite the situation. Can I count on you?"

He knew what Zordon was asking him, and he knew that he had it in him to remain in control at all times. It would be difficult, but if – no, _when_ – they found Kimberly, he wanted to be there for _her_, not in jail for killing Duncan. He nodded curtly at Zordon and then felt the familiar tug of teleportation, and was gone.

**Hear me**

**I'm crying out, I'm ready now**

**Turn my world upside down**

**Find me.**

**I'm lost inside the crowd**

**It's getting loud**

**I need you to see,**

**I'm screaming for you to please**

**Hear me.**

He beamed down only about 30 seconds after the others, but it was enough to get noticed.

"Get lost?" Jason smirked with a cocked eyebrow. Tommy ignored him.

"Let's go," Tommy said, about to dart into the factory.

"Wait!" Jason hissed after him. "We need a plan. We can't just go in there, running around, looking for her."

"Funny, that's my plan. _Let's go_." Jason grabbed Tommy's arm to stop him.

"What if he has a gun Tommy, huh? What then? Healing fast and regenerating holes in your body are two different things."

"Oh yeah? Well then what's your plan, hotshot?"

"We stick together. We assess. And _then_ we come up with a rescue technique, assuming that she's even in there." Tommy nodded in assent and motioned to the entrance.

"_Now,_ let's go."

They moved together seamlessly, one of the many perks of being part of a well-oiled team. It was different, doing surveillance of this kind in their civilian outfits and not morphed, but Jason had been right about escalating the battle against a human by morphing unprovoked. It just wasn't necessary.

They had just made it through the bottom floor when Adam sucked in a shallow breath.

"Look, guys." He pointed up a level, to a sort of balcony overhang. And there was Kimberly, looking barely conscious, with Duncan circling her much like a vulture does to prey. Her body hung limply from the pipes she was handcuffed to, and although they were too far away to see for sure, it looked as if she was covered in blood.

"Okay, here's the plan," Tommy slipped effortlessly back into leader-mode. "Adam, Aisha, and Kat – you three take the left side, towards the front. Jason, you and Billy circle around so that you come from behind her. Once Duncan is distracted I want you two to get her out of here. Rocky, you and I are gonna take the right, and kick some ass. Any questions?" A shake of heads told him that they were clear, and with a flick of his head, they had dispersed, putting their plan in motion.

They approached Kimberly and Duncan quickly, practically running through the maze of machinery. It was a filthy building, with a thick layer of dust atop of everything, not to mention the ooze that seemed to coat all surfaces as well. Ivan Ooze had made a _mess_ of this place, and no one had ever bothered to clean it up.

Finally, they all had made it to the landing. Hiding behind a large vat, Tommy could just make out where the others were positioned around the floor.

"**Say it!**" Duncan's harsh voice rang out through the factory, bouncing off the empty metal drums and high ceiling. Kimberly looked like she wanted to speak – her lips were just barely moving, as if she had no strength left to talk.

Suddenly, Tommy couldn't take it any longer. He brazenly walked out from his hiding spot, coming up behind Duncan unnoticed.

"Hello there," Tommy's voice alone should've made a saner person cry from terror, but Duncan just whipped around, only to meet Tommy's fist. He staggered backwards, into Kimberly, who let out a small moan of pain. Duncan made a swing for Tommy, but his fist was caught easily in the air, and held onto by Rocky.

"You _really_ don't want to do that."

"Now," Tommy continued, seeing Jason and Billy come up behind Kim, with Aisha and Kat trying to tend to her as well. "You have five seconds to call the police and confess yourself." He held out his cell phone in front of him.

"Five," he watched with satisfaction as Rocky's grip on his fist tightened with every number, "four…three…two…**one**." Rocky released Duncan's fist just as Tommy released his own, connecting with Duncan's face with a strength Tommy wasn't even aware he had in him in his human form. Duncan collapsed, completely knocked out, and Tommy gave him a well-placed kick to the stomach. Adam inched forward, aware that he might have to restrain Tommy if he were to lose a little of his control, but instead, Tommy just glowered at the pathetic excuse for a man on the floor, and rushed to Kimberly's side, who was being propped up by the two girls.

"We need to get her out here," Kat spoke fervently. "She's lost a lot of blood and who knows if she's bleeding inside."

"Beautiful, can you hear me?" Tommy's voice almost cracked as he stroked a piece of hair out of her face.

"Mmm…" Kim managed to mumble. "I knew you'd come."

**I'm restless and wild**

**I fall, but I try**

**I need someone to understand**

**Can you hear me?**

**I'm lost in my thoughts**

**And baby I've fought**

**For all that I've got**

**Can you hear me?**

It was a long time until Tommy finally slowed down that night…or morning, rather. Jason had done them all a huge favor and came up with a creative story as to how they found Kimberly, and how they had known that it was Duncan who kidnapped her. He had ingrained it in their brains as they waited for the police to come, and then they repeated their stories flawlessly to the cops.

Kimberly was whisked away to a local hospital just as quickly, although that took a bit more creative story telling to convince Tommy not to just teleport her. It wouldn't do any good for the police to show up and the victim to be missing, and justice is what they all craved for Duncan to experience.

"Please," Tommy pled for what felt like millionth time. "We've gone through this tons of times. I just want to get to my girlfriend in the hospital."

The police officer standing in front of him looking mildly put out, but he heaved a large sigh and nodded at the young man standing in front of him.

"_Thank you_," Tommy said earnestly before rushing out of sight and disappearing in a stream of white light.

He wasn't the first of the gang to be let loose from questioning and giving statements to the cops, and he ran into Billy, Aisha, Adam and Kat in the waiting room of the hospital.

"How is she?"

"Stable, or so they say. They had to perform a minor surgery to repair a torn artery, but that was a few hours ago." Billy readjusted his glasses as he repeated all the information he had for Tommy.

"I can't believe that took so long!" Tommy ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I need to see her."

"The doctor will be out in a few minutes – he's been giving us updates every hour," Tommy opened his mouth to cut her off, but Kat rushed on. "If he still says that no one can go in, then you can teleport your ass in there, hell, you can morph and demand to see her. Let's just wait to hear what he has to say before you do something stup-…rash. Before you do something rash."

"Fine." Tommy slumped into a stiff waiting room chair, glowering. It had only been two minutes before a young doctor came walking purposefully towards them and Tommy leapt to his feet.

"Any news?"

"And you are…?" The doctor asked warily. For the girl that had no family to call and update on her condition, she did have an ever growing fan base that had started with a geeky boy, then with a very polite Australian girl, then a boisterous African American girl, and now with a tall and somewhat menacing young man.

"Her boyfriend," Tommy growled.

"Very well," the doctor sighed. "She's stable and able to have visitors. However, she is in a chemically induced coma at this time, due to the trauma that her body has sustained."

"Why?"

"Putting her under a chemical coma has a lot of benefits, one of them being that her body is wholly focused on healing her internal wounds. The stress of being awake after such an ordeal will require a lot of energy, energy that at this time needs to be diverted to her own body."

"But we can see her?" Tommy was barely listening to the medical jargon that was spilling out of the doctor's mouth; he was only concerned with the fact that she was in a room only feet away and wasn't by her side.

"Well, yes, but-" Tommy was gone this instant the words of consent left his mouth and barreled through the doors. "267," he barely heard the doctor mutter after him.

He ran as fast as he could to her door, almost knocking down nurses and patients alike. He couldn't describe the feeling of relief he felt when he saw her lying there. There she was, hooked up to several machines, a breathing tube in her nose, IVs running through her veins, not to mention the bruises that covered every inch of her body that he could see. That, topped with the hundreds of tiny lacerations covering her made Kim look like she had been run over by a car, when she was merely punched. _No, not just punched_, Tommy amended in his head. _Almost beaten to death is what she was. _

And yet, despite the sight in front of him, despite _everything_, she was there. In front of him. Alive.

And it was all he could to not break down at the thought of her _not_ being alive.

He entered her room slowly, cautiously, not wanting to wake her, even though it was not possible. He made his way over to her bed, pulling a chair as close as he could before sitting and gingerly taking her hand.

"Kim, if you can hear me, I'm _so sorry_."

And he let the tears come, finally.

**Hear me**

**I'm crying out, I'm ready now**

**Turn my world upside down**

**Find me.**

**I'm lost inside the crowd**

**It's getting loud**

**I need you to see**

**I'm screaming for you to please**

**Hear me.**

**Can you hear me?**

**Hear me.**


	12. Anytime

**A/N: Remember that time when I posted this story? It was actually 2 years ago from…well, yesterday, now. (I had hoped to get this up before midnight, but apparently not.) Well, here's the last chapter. It is finished. It wasn't until I was watching MMPR reruns on ABC last Saturday that I even realized this wasn't complete. I hope the last chapter does the story justice. If nothing else, I am really proud to have completed something – even if it did take me 2 years. My goal is to go through all the stories I have posted right now and finish them off. I hope the writing isn't too far off from the rest of the story – a lot has changed in 2 years, and I doubt I'm the same person I was when I started this story, but…I'm happy it's done.**

**Enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Disney/Saban, except for the song 'Anytime,' which is Kelly Clarkson's. **

"It's been _days_," Tommy repeated. "Why isn't she awake yet? You said you stopped the chemical thing. You stopped it, right? Why isn't she awake?"

The doctor sighed as Thomas Oliver began to get irate again, pacing around the patient's room. He felt for the young man, he really did. He was clearly very much in love and yet he had to see his girlfriend look the way she did.

"I told you, Mr. Oliver. Her injuries are probably more severe than we thought-"

"That's bad then, right? Should you do another surgery? Is she okay?"

"She's _fine_. I just meant that her body is healing as fast as it can, and it just needs more time. Her scans are coming back normal, she has typical brain activity and aside from the obvious injuries, she really is healing nicely. She just needs more time, Mr. Oliver. I feel very confident that she will wake up in her own time."

Tommy wanted to punch something as the doctor left the room. It just doesn't seem fair. Nothing was fair. Kimberly was still in the hospital. The fact that Kimberly was in the hospital at all was ludicrous. But this…she shouldn't still be there. To top it off, if she would at least _wake up_ then Tommy could check her out and they could go to the Command Center and Zordon could use some of the Power to enhance her healing. But until she woke up, it was like life was at a standstill.

"Come on, Beautiful." Tommy took Kimberly's hand like he always did when he was with her.

It wasn't easy, being there with her. He was constantly reminded of all of his shortcomings and all of his flaws. But at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to leave. He was taking full advantage of Kim's full bathroom in the room, and had the others running him random food errands and even clothing runs. Aside from the occasional stop in with Zordon, he hadn't left Kim's side.

"I know if you can hear me, you'll be rolling your eyes," he whispered softly to their clasped hands, not able to bring his eyes to her face. "But I feel like this is all my fault, Beautiful. I told you to not be on your guard. I told you to relax, that he wasn't going to get you. I let you feel safe, only for this to happen."

Two days prior and Tommy couldn't get his eyes to stop watering. Now, he prayed they would, just because he couldn't feel_ anything_ anymore.

"Knock, knock." A familiar head popped around the corner to the room. "You guys up for visitors?"

"She's still not awake, Billy." He ran a frustrated hand over his face. "You guys are more than welcome to come though, you know that. This isn't my room."

"It's starting to smell like it, though," Jason commented as he made his way into the room, followed by Billy, Trini and Aisha.

"Trini, you made it." Tommy knew that Kim would appreciate having her here if…_when_…she woke up.

"I left as soon as I could," she murmured as she got closer to Kimberly lying prone in the bed. Her hand instantly went to cover the gasp she let out. "Oh my God…she looks…is she okay?"

"No permanent damage, or so the doctors say. Nothing to do but wait for her to come out of this herself."

Trini felt tears start to flood down her cheeks and she welcomed Jason's embrace as he turned her into him. She let herself cry unabashedly into his chest, for once not caring about the façade she usually put out. She wasn't trying to be the tough, fearless, brave Trini who could kick your butt. Now she was just weak, worried, scared Trini whose best friend was lying there unconscious in the hospital.

"It is really not uncommon," Billy told Tommy as they both looked over Kimberly.

"What's not?"

"To take a prolonged period of time to come out of a chemically induced coma. It could also be suggested that she is dealing with the mental aspects of the trauma."

"What do you mean?" He didn't feel like even trying to decipher whatever it was that Billy was trying to explain to him.

"While her body does need adequate time to heal the physical injuries she sustained during her ordeal, it might be that she needs to the…alone time, so to speak, inside of her own head to sort through the mental aspect of what she went through. It couldn't have been easy to deal with, having someone that she used to trust treat her in such a despicable way. I do believe the doctors are right when they say that she just needs more time."

Tommy mulled that over for a few minutes. Billy was right – it couldn't have been easy on her. Any part of it. Maybe she did just need a little bit more time. One thing he did know was that no matter what, whenever she did wake up, he was going to be right there. Waiting.

**Anytime you feel like you jut can't hold on**

**Just hold on to my love and I'll help you be strong**

**But you're so afraid to lose, and baby I can't reach your heart**

**I can't face this world that's keeping us apart**

**When I can be the one to show you**

**Everything you missed before**

**Just hold on now, 'cause I could be the one to give you more**

**Let you know**

Before he could even verbally respond to Billy, the familiar tones went off through Tommy, Aisha and Billy's communicators. This was unique – Tommy's communicator hadn't gone off since Kimberly had been in the hospital. He had only gone to see Zordon through his own volition, as the others told him he wanted to see him. The urgent beeping confirmed his worst fears: there was an attack. And he was going to have to leave.

"We read you, Zordon," Tommy spoke, resigned.

"Tommy, Billy," the booming voice seemed to echo around the quiet room. "There has been an attack on the Angel Grove Community Theater in the park. The others have already been fighting, but they need their teammates."

He felt his heart warm a little bit at the realization that Zordon hadn't _wanted_ to take him away from Kimberly, but he was the last resort. He knew what he had to do.

"We're on our way." He looked back at the pair standing next to Kimberly. "You guys gonna be okay?"

"We'll be fine, dude. We'll look after her. Zack should be here soon. Go kick some butt." Jason gave him a glare that told him not to argue with him.

"Alright. Just…thanks." He looked to Billy and Aisha, who nodded. "It's Morphin' Time!"

"It's strange being the ones left behind," Trini commented after a while of her and Jason sitting beside Kim's bed. "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it."

"Me neither. It's still second nature to reach for my Power Coin." Jason looked down at Kimberly from his perch in the chair beside her. "Do you ever wonder what it would've been like if we never left?"

"Everyday," a voice came from the doorway. A solemn Zack stood there, his eyes trained on Kim. "Do you think _this_ would've happened?"

"I…I don't know." Trini felt tears welling up in her eyes again. "I like to think we'd still all be together. Me, you, Jason, Tommy, Kim, Billy…we'd all stay together. It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"Where's everyone else?"

"Battle," Trini and Jason replied simultaneously.

"Wow." Zack sat down and put his head in his hands. "Life goes on, I guess."

"We're lucky…I mean, _they're_ lucky," Trini corrected herself, "That no one up there realized there was anything up down here for the past few days. Everyone's been so preoccupied, Rita and Zedd could've set up shop in downtown and I'm not sure anyone would've noticed."

"Well, thank God for small favors." Zack nudged Jason with his knee. "How you doing, man?"

He shrugged.

"Keeping it together, I guess. I think Tommy's getting pissed with my lame jokes. But if I don't keep it light, then…I've just got to keep it light, you know? There isn't another option right now, especially when he is on edge like he is."

"Is _he_ keeping it together?"

"Barely. I mean, he wants everyone to think he is, but…everyday that passes and she doesn't wake up, he gets a little more torn up. I can see it. He rarely leaves her side, and if he does he's having these secret conversations with Zordon. It's weird, but I don't know what I can do for him."

"I don't think anything's going to help him until she wakes up, Jase." Trini rested her head on his shoulder. "I mean, what if the doctors are wrong? What if-"

"You can't think like that, Trini. You just can't."

"Guys," Zack tried to get their attention but it was futile.

"I'm trying to be realistic, Jason. We've got to prepare for every situation."

"No, we don't. She's going to wake up."

"Guys-"

"I'm not saying I don't want her to, she's my best friend too, Jason."

"She's my little sister, Trini, I just don't think I can handle you talking that way-"

"Hey, _**idiots**_."

Trini and Jason finally turned to Zack, who wasn't even looking at them.

"_What?_"

"Look!" Zack pointed to Kimberly, who, sure enough, was moving slightly. Her right hand looked like she was struggling to lift it, although her eyes were still shut, but flickering weakly.

"Call Zordon. See if the others are back yet," Zack instructed Jason, who was still looking at Kim in awe. "Jason!"

"What? Huh? Call him? How? I don't have the number…"

"You are wearing a communicator."

"Oh! Oh." He looked at his wrist and the communicator that pretty much did just that: communicate. He didn't have access to the other Rangers, just the Command Center, but Alpha and Billy had worked hard on this for him. He wanted to slap his forehead.

He urgently tried to connect with Zordon or Alpha, keeping his eyes locked on the still sluggishly moving Kimberly, who still had not opened her eyes.

"Yes, Jason?" Zordon's voice finally came from the small electronic device.

"Zordon! Um, is everyone there yet? Is the battle still going on?"

"No, the battle continues, although I believe it is drawing to a successful end shortly. Why?"

"Kimberly is waking up."

Silence. Jason realized, belatedly, that Zordon was just as, if not more, invested in Kim's welfare than any of the other Rangers.

"Are you positive?"

"She is, Zordon, I can tell," Zack piped in from next to Jason.

"It is good to hear your voice, Zack. As for the others, I will alert them to the change in Kimberly's condition. I'm assured that the battle will not continue long after that."

**Anytime you need love baby, I'm on your side**

**Let me be the one; I can make it alright**

**Anytime you need love baby, you're in my heart**

**I can make it alright**

Not five minutes later, just after Kim had fallen back into a light sleep – she had never fully come to – did the other Rangers appear in the room from beams of light.

"I thought you said she woke up?" Tommy questioned instantly, his voice demanding.

"She never fully woke up, but I think she's just sleeping now, and…well, there you go, that's what you get for yelling when you first get to a room." Jason gestured to Kim's form, which was now looking a little restless.

Tommy rushed to her side and took her hand as everyone else tried not to watch the private moment and instead distracted themselves by greeting Zack and Trini.

"You gotta wake up, Beautiful. You got to," Tommy whispered softly into her ear.

"So loud," Kim murmured, making his face break into the biggest grin possible.

"Hey, hey!" He whisper-shouted to the room at large, causing everyone to stare. "It's too loud for Kim."

"Should we call a doctor?" Aisha wondered aloud.

"It would probably be for the best," Billy agreed. "I shall go find one."

As Billy left, everyone turned their attention to Kimberly.

"Feels like I got hit with a mack truck," she moaned. A titter of laughter spread through the room before Tommy had to ask…

"Do you remember what happened, Kim?"

"Duncan fucking McKessie happened, that's what." The laughter returned, although it was a little more light-hearted; everyone was finally realizing that Kim was going to be okay.

"You gonna open your eyes for us, Beautiful?"

Before she could respond, a doctor burst in the room with Billy on his heels.

"How on Earth did you all get in here?" He exclaimed upon seeing the room filled with kids. "We haven't been allowing more than three or four back here at one time! Who let you all be back here at one?"

The kids all shared a wide-eyed look with each other before Jason thought quickly.

"Look, she's awake!"

The doctor gave an _I-told-you-so_ look to Tommy, whose cheeks flushed.

"How are you feeling, Kimberly?" He asked kindly as he approached her, grabbing her chart from the end of the bed.

"Been better, I guess."

"You gave your friends quite the scare. It was about time for you to wake up."

"What…what do you mean? How long have I been out of it?"

"It'll be six days tomorrow." The doctor responded genially. "Now if you could follow this light without moving your head…"

Kim did as she was told as the doctor did some basic tests – blood pressure, pupils, etc. She tried to focus as the doctor told her of her injuries, but she was so _tired_ and everyone was staring at her and she had been there _six days_…

"…repaired a torn artery as well as reset some ribs. You're going to have to wear a brace on your wrist for the next few weeks, and not a lot of physical exertion. Your friends tell me that you do gymnastics, but I'm going to ask that you refrain from anything to strenuous on you or your wrist." He seemed to notice that she was fading. "Your bound to be very tired; your body has had a lot of repairing to do. You have some excellent friends here though. This gentleman hasn't left your side since you were brought in." He nodded to Tommy, who looked down, disappointing Kim. However, he quickly lifted his head and gave her a swift wink, making a smile appear on her face.

"A nurse will be by in a little while to make sure your pain medication is sufficient, okay Ms. Hart?"

As he bowed out of the room, the other gathered around her bed, looking positively delighted that she was awake.

"Doing okay, girl?" Aisha asked worriedly, although she was still smiling broadly.

"Hanging in there. What happened?"

"I thought you remembered…" Rocky didn't want to upset her with talk of what happened, to be honest. He wanted to put the whole ordeal behind them.

"I remember most of it. I wish I didn't. I remember waking up in the same factory that Ivan was in…it was terrible. Duncan was…" Kimberly gulped as memories flooded her mind. "He was crazy," she whispered finally. "Like, legitimately crazy. He had this look in his eyes…it was so scary."

"He's pleading insanity, Kimmy," Jason told her quietly. "He was supposed to be taking medicine for schizophrenia. He didn't realize how long he'd be in Angel Grove and didn't take any with him and…"

"And he's going to pay," Tommy insisted. "I promise you, Kim. He will."

"It's okay. Everything's okay. You guys saved me." Her hands were starting to feel heavy with tiredness, but she was determined to find out what happened.

"We're truly sorry it took so long for us to find you, Kimberly." Billy took off his glasses and wiped them self-consciously. "Being in Ivan Ooze's former factory, it didn't show up on the grid originally. There was an influx of evil energy and it overshadowed your faint power signature on Zordon's screenings. Once we discovered this, we were over there very quickly."

"And then what?"

"And then we kicked butt, that's what!" Rocky held his hand up to be highfived, but no one took the bait.

"We didn't really, Kim," Kat assured her. "Tommy punched him hard enough to knock him out and he might've…fallen a couple of times on the way out. But that's it. The rest is up to the justice system."

"I'm probably going to have to talk to the cops, huh?"

"We all had to, girl. Not as scary as you'd think," Aisha reassured.

"Mmmm. I'm so tired, I'm sorry guys…" Kim spoke softly as she felt her eyes start to droop. "Hi Trini. Hi Zack. I'm glad you're here."

"Wish it wasn't under these circumstances but it's good to see you too," Zack said softly.

"Hey, one more thing…"

"What is it, Beautiful?"

"Has my mom come to see me?"

"I'm sorry, Kim…" Tommy was hoping she wasn't going to ask that.

"S'okay. I'm glad I have my family with me at least." And with that, her eyes shut and she felt herself drift to sleep.

**I look into your eyes, and I feel it coming through**

**And I can't help but want you more than I want to**

**So baby take all of your fears, and cast them all on me**

'**Cause all I ever wanted was just to make you see**

**That I could be the one to give you**

**All that you've been searching for**

**Just hol on to my love, and baby let me give you more**

**You know, anytime.**

"Almost time, Beautiful."

It was the day after, 9 a.m., and she was going to finally be released at noon. She had tried convincing Tommy to go home since she had woken up, but she had yet to win that battle.

"You look worried," Kim commented as she ran a brush through her hair. She had to swallow her pride earlier and asked a nurse for assistance in showering. She was just so sore, she knew she wouldn't be able to catch herself if she slipped, and her equilibrium was a little off due to being off her feet for a week.

"I'm not worried."

"Good," she smiled brightly at him.

"I'm sorry."

"Not good." She dropped the brush into her lap as Tommy paced before her. "Why are you sorry?"

"I feel like…it was my fault."

"Tommy, this was _Duncan's_ fault." She had repeated that so many times in her head, it just rolled of her tongue. It was the truth. It was no one else's fault but Duncan's. Not even hers.

"I told you to relax. I told you to stop worrying so much about what could happen. I pretty much _let_ Duncan take you."

"Tommy, he got me with a chloroform rag. I'm not even sure what I could've done even if I had been on guard. I'm not a Power Ranger anymore," she told him quietly. "He's a lot bigger than me; it's pretty clear that I would've lost that fight."

"I know, but-"

"But what? You found me. You _found_ me. I know you said it took longer than it should've, but you have to know that in my mind, you guys wouldn't have even started looking until the next morning when I wasn't around. You're a blessing, you know that, Tommy Oliver? You're everything."

"Anytime you need me, Kim. _Anytime._ I'm not going anywhere. I want to be here for you."

"You are there for me, Tommy. You have been."

He finally stopped pacing in front of her and sat on the edge of her bed.

"You know, I was thinking. And this is pretty much the worst time to bring it up, but you know, maybe you could rent out your house?"

"Rent it? Why?" Kim resumed brushing her hair yet tried to keep eye contact with Tommy.

"Well, I don't think you should see it. I think when we're ready – in a few years or whenever, we can move in and start that whole family thing. I just know how much that place means to you and I don't want to see you get rid of it permanently. Renting it out now and getting a place nearby could be a good solution to that." She stared at him, open-mouthed, brush halfway through her hair. "It's just a suggestion. An idea, really. You don't have to do it."

"You said we. Like, me and you. Moving in."

"Well, yeah… I mean, don't you think about stuff like that? I know it hasn't been long, but I didn't think things had changed that much between us. I still love you and I know you love me and…I don't know."

"Tommy." Kim took his face in between her hands and looked at him deeply. "That's the best thing you've ever said to me."

"Yeah?" A slow smile started to spread across his face. She nodded back eagerly, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Yeah."

"I'm just so glad to have you be-"

"_Where is she?_" The commotion outside of the room suddenly grew louder and interrupted their conversation. Familiar voices overlapped and it was hard to make out what was being said, but one thing was clear: someone was _not_ happy.

Suddenly, the door was flung open. Standing there, looking as enraged as a bull, was Caroline Dumas. Behind her was a surly looking Jason as well as an apologetic nurse.

"What on _Earth_ did you get yourself into, Kimberly?"

"Umm…" She honestly had no idea how to respond to her mother. What in the actual fuck?

"I'm sorry, Kim, she was denied the first time she tried to see you since this is a _private room_," Jason said while glaring at her mom. "She must've waited 'til I came and then she saw me headed this way and decided that the mature way to handle this situation was to throw a temper tantrum."

"Your mother would be _very_ disappointed if she knew how you were talking to me, Jason. Never in my life did I imagine you could be so rude."

"Your lawyer is probably pretty disappointed that you're here. Are you sure it's a good idea to talk to Kim with all these _witnesses_ around?" Jason shot back, not backing down.

"Leave. Now." Caroline glared all around the room. The scared looking nurse was the only one to actually vacate the scene.

"Never going to happen."

Tommy and Kim looked on in confusion. What was going on?

"Why are you here now?" Kim asked slowly. "You didn't come before. Why are you showing up now?"

"Kimberly, please. Tell your friends to leave and then we can talk."

Tommy actually made to get up, but Kim clenched his hand tightly, urging him silently to stay.

"Why are you here?" She repeated, trying to force the tremble out of her voice.

When her mother avoided her eyes instead of responding, Jason decided to speak up. It would be easier for her to hear it now anyway.

"It's all over the news, Kimmy. I mean, Angel Grove doesn't usually have a lot of crime, at least not with the Power Rangers around, so this is a big deal. Duncan was arrested but I guess after going through his phone records, there was a lot of suspicious calls from your mom to him and vice versa. Your mom is the one who paid him to come get you and bring you back to Florida."

Silence. It screamed in Kimberly's ears as she tried to process what Jason had said. It explained why Duncan came in the first place – she knew his feelings never ran that deep.

"Mom?"

Caroline held her hands out in front of her, trying to placate her daughter.

"You needed to come home, honey."

"Oh my God," Kim whispered.

"You needed to come back. You were giving up your dreams."

"You paid him? You _paid_ him?" She wanted to scream at her, but Kimberly couldn't manage to get her voice above a whisper.

"He was never supposed to hurt you." Caroline stepped closer to her. "He was just supposed to do whatever it took to get you back home."

Kim practically leapt away as her mother got closer.

"Whatever it took?? _This_ is his idea of 'whatever it took.' He kidnapped me! He beat me! He…" She choked back a sob as she tried to put her experience into words. "He made me tell him how _great_ he was. How _perfect_. And I did! You know why? Because it meant maybe the next punch wouldn't go to my _stomach_." She lifted up her loose t-shirt and showed her mother her stomach, which was an array of bruises in varying shades of dark purple and blue to a lighter green.

"Sweertheart…" Another step forward. Kim held out her hand.

"Stop it. Get out." She didn't want to cry in front of her mother. She didn't want to appear that weak.

"What?" Caroline looked truly affronted that her daughter would make such a demand.

"Get out," she repeated. She put her head in her hands, rocking slowly. "Get out, get out, get out!"

As her footsteps faded away and Tommy's arms came around her, she was left with the conflicting feelings of everything being wrong and everything being right at the same exact time.

**Anytime you need love baby, I'm on your side**

**Just let me be the one, I can make it alright**

**Anytime you need love baby, you're in my heart**

**I can make it alright.**

**And now there's no way out**

**And I can't help the way I feel**

'**Cause baby you're the fire**

**And I'll be waiting right here**

**You know my love is real, baby.**

3 Months Later…

She didn't know where the time went. At all. But as she straightened her shirt out for the fifth time in front of the mirror, she tried not to focus on all the singular events that brought her to this moment. Instead, she just took in the moment. It was good. It was right. Things were finally going to be okay after today.

Arms encased her from behind and she leaned back in them gratefully.

"Are you sure you want to go today?" Tommy whispered in her ear. "You don't have to, you know."

"People expect me to be there, Tommy."

"That's not a reason to go, Kim. That's an excuse."

She turned in his arms to look in his eyes, and instead of seeing judgment or accusation, she just saw love. As always.

"I have to do this." He just nodded in response.

"Then let's do this."

He led the way out of her small apartment and into his white Jeep. She had really lucked out with her apartment – it wasn't located downtown, which was much too busy for Kim's liking, but instead it was just a few blocks away from the Juice Bar. So close, in fact, that her upstairs neighbor was none other than Ernie himself.

They made it downtown quickly enough, actually finding parking not too far from the courthouse. She took a deep breath while still sitting in the car as Tommy keyed off the engine.

"You sure you want to do this?"

"We're here, aren't we?"

He realized this was just about all he was going to get out of her and he got out of the car, coming to her side to open the door. As she hopped out and nervously smoothed out her clothes, he gave her a once over.

"You look really beautiful today."

Her answering grin was thanks enough as they began walking.

"I bet you say that to all the girls you take to court to see the judgment ruling on the man that beat them."

"Nope." He squeezed her shoulder as he slung his arm around her. "Just you."

"Lucky me," she laughed.

"Lucky _me_!"

They laughed and chatted about inconsequential things until suddenly, they were there. Standing in front of the door to the courtroom where Duncan McKessie's fate was to be decided.

"Just think," Tommy broke the silence. "After this, no matter what happens, it's over. You can get back to your classes at UC Angel Grove. Your wrist is almost completely healed. You can move on, for the better, after this."

"I know. I know."

She moved to open the door to the courtroom when suddenly her phone beeped.

"You're going to need to turn that off before going into the courtroom, miss," a polite security officer told her.

"That's weird," she mumbled as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "It _was_ off."

She opened it curiously, only to have that curiosity be replaced by warmth. A text message was on the screen.

_Your friends love you, little Crane_.

Telling herself the couldn't cry, she flipped her phone shut, double-checking to make sure it was off for good, and slipped it back into her pocket.

"Here goes nothing," she said softly as she took Tommy's hand and led him into the last place she wanted to be.

She told herself repeatedly that she wasn't going to cry. That she couldn't. That she had to be strong for not only herself, but for others.

But when the jury foreman stood up and announced that not only was Duncan McKessie found guilty of aggravated assault and battery, but the recommended sentence was life in a high-security mental health institution, no matter what Kim told herself, the tears were coming steady and strong.

"It's over, it's over, it's over," Tommy repeated in her ear as he hugged her tightly. She shook her head eagerly and pulled back to look at him.

"Everything's just about to begin," she told him with a smile. And she couldn't wait.

**Anytime you need love baby, I'm on your side**

**Let me be the one, I can make it alright**

**Anytime you need love baby, you're in my heart**

** I can make it alright.**


End file.
